667
Colleges in the United States
149,215
Visual & Performing Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,700
Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in
visual & performing arts, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #10 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.
In 2024, College Factual analyzed 667 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 149,215 degrees in visual & performing arts to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Your choice of visual & performing arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Visual & Performing Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
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Featured Visual & Performing Arts Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the visual & performing arts degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It's difficult to beat Northwestern University if you want to pursue a degree in visual & performing arts. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were about 378 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at Northwestern University earn $4,857 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Northwestern University
It is difficult to beat University of Notre Dame if you want to pursue a degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.
There were approximately 141 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts program at University of Notre Dame earn $21,516 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Notre Dame
It is hard to beat University of Southern California if you want to pursue a degree in visual & performing arts. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 1000 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts degree program at University of Southern California get $5,098 more than the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Southern California
Columbia University in the City of New York is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.
There were approximately 358 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Visual & Performing Arts degree recipients from Columbia University in the City of New York get an earnings boost of around $8,428 over the average income of visual & performing arts majors.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Columbia University in the City of New York
Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were roughly 1494 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts degree program at New York University make $4,346 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from New York University
Rice is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Houston. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.
There were approximately 129 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients typically make an average of $28,275 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Rice University
Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.
There were approximately 72 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from Duke University earn $11,936 more than the average visual & performing arts grad.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Duke University
Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.
There were about 99 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts degree program at Emory University get $10,008 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Emory University
Located in the medium-sized city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.
There were roughly 279 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, visual & performing arts degree recipients typically make an average of $26,927 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Yale University
U-M is a very large public university located in the city of Ann Arbor. This university ranks 1st out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were approximately 540 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program make an average of $25,673 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.
There were approximately 326 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent data year. Visual & Performing Arts degree recipients from Carnegie Mellon University receive an earnings boost of about $21,831 above the typical income of visual & performing arts majors.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Carnegie Mellon University
Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.
There were approximately 172 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year. Visual & Performing Arts degree recipients from Washington University in St Louis earn a boost of about $3,075 over the typical earnings of visual & performing arts graduates.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Washington University in St Louis
UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were about 285 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts degree program at University of California - Berkeley get $3,252 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of California - Berkeley
Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.
There were approximately 580 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from The University of Texas at Austin make $6,236 more than the average visual & performing arts graduate.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from The University of Texas at Austin
Located in the city of New York, Juilliard is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
There were about 251 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Juilliard in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at The Juilliard School earn $4,835 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from The Juilliard School
Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.
There were roughly 114 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the visual & performing arts program report average early career wages of $24,686.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Pennsylvania
Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 51 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.
There were roughly 352 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at University of Washington - Seattle Campus get $5,956 above the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.
There were about 84.00000000000001 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the visual & performing arts program report average early career wages of $26,788.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Vanderbilt University
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 581 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the visual & performing arts program earn about $26,313 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of California - Los Angeles
Dartmouth is a medium-sized private not-for-profit college located in the town of Hanover. This college ranks 1st out of 17 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Hampshire.
There were roughly 58 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts program at Dartmouth College get $9,741 more than the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Dartmouth College
Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.
There were approximately 457 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Those visual & performing arts students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - Madison receive $8,543 more than the standard visual & performing arts grad.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Chapman is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Orange. This university ranks 32nd out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 389 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the visual & performing arts program report average early career wages of $28,071.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Chapman University
American Musical and Dramatic Academy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.
There were about 481 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at American Musical and Dramatic Academy in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, visual & performing arts degree recipients generally make around $18,417 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from American Musical and Dramatic Academy
UC Irvine is a very large public university located in the city of Irvine. This university ranks 15th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 515 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the visual & performing arts program report average early career earnings of $24,888.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from University of California - Irvine
Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were about 380 visual & performing arts students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the visual & performing arts major at Michigan State University earn $9,464 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in visual & performing arts from Michigan State University