College Rankings

Best Fine Arts Schools

The top 25 of 385 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate Fine Arts degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.

Is Fine Arts worth it?

Financially speaking, a Fine Arts degree is a high-risk investment that requires ruthless pragmatism about student debt. Because early-career earnings in the creative sector are notoriously modest and freelance-heavy, graduating with massive loans can easily sink a budding artistic career before it starts. The degree pays off under two distinct scenarios: attending a highly subsidized regional public university where tuition is practically a rounding error, or gaining admission to an elite private institution with an endowment large enough to cover your financial need entirely. If you have to borrow heavily to fund your studio time, the math simply does not work.

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#	School	State	Score	Median earnings	Net price / yr	10-yr net ROI
1	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	CA	57	$36,006	$16,665†	+$293K
2	University of Massachusetts-Lowell	MA	49	$36,236	$17,163†	+$294K
3	California State University-East Bay	CA	49	$33,220	$9,320†	+$295K
4	Columbia University in the City of New York	NY	48	$51,435	$21,590	+$428K
5	Williams College	MA	46	$34,560	$17,716	+$275K
6	University of Southern California	CA	45	$50,161	$32,740	+$371K
7	Empire State University	NY	45	$39,946	$11,676†	+$353K
8	Ramapo College of New Jersey	NJ	44	$44,529	$18,173†	+$373K
9	CUNY Lehman College	NY	44	$27,582	$3,148†	+$263K
10	University of Georgia	GA	43	$34,056	$13,936†	+$285K
11	University of Maryland-College Park	MD	43	$32,031	$15,678†	+$258K
12	Texas Woman's University	TX	42	$35,115	$11,963†	+$303K
13	Fort Hays State University	KS	42	$31,909	$12,569†	+$269K
14	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	MI	42	$31,367	$13,138†	+$261K
15	University of North Florida	FL	41	$31,770	$10,154†	+$277K
16	Indiana University-Southeast	IN	41	$31,194	$7,888†	+$280K
17	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus	CO	41	$31,144	$11,900†	+$264K
18	Cornell University	NY	41	$31,073	$28,690	+$196K
19	Northeastern Illinois University	IL	41	$30,845	$14,109†	+$252K
20	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus	CT	41	$24,419	$10,875†	+$201K
21	Ohio University-Eastern Campus	OH	40	$29,053	$3,925†	+$275K
22	California State University-Northridge	CA	40	$25,359	$7,021†	+$226K
23	CUNY Queens College	NY	40	$24,910	$4,195†	+$232K
24	CUNY City College	NY	40	$24,742	$3,776†	+$232K
25	University of Nebraska at Kearney	NE	39	$40,501	$16,242†	+$340K
26	Saint Cloud State University	MN	39	$30,051	$13,529†	+$246K
27	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus	OH	39	$29,053	$5,755†	+$268K
28	Ohio University-Southern Campus	OH	39	$29,053	$5,993†	+$267K
29	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus	OH	39	$29,053	$5,650†	+$268K
30	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus	OH	39	$29,053	$5,746†	+$268K
31	California State University-Fullerton	CA	39	$22,839	$6,555†	+$202K
32	CUNY Hunter College	NY	39	$22,788	$2,984†	+$216K
33	CUNY Brooklyn College	NY	39	$22,633	$3,103†	+$214K
34	Texas A & M International University	TX	39	$19,300	$3,637†	+$178K
35	University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh	WI	38	$38,585	$14,305†	+$329K
36	Northern Kentucky University	KY	38	$31,448	$8,191†	+$282K
37	Florida Atlantic University	FL	38	$28,726	$8,752†	+$252K
38	California State University-Los Angeles	CA	38	$24,538	$3,967†	+$230K
39	University of Connecticut-Avery Point	CT	38	$24,419	$13,807†	+$189K
40	Brown University	RI	38	$23,180	$25,184	+$131K
41	University of California-Berkeley	CA	38	$20,368	$13,481†	+$150K
42	Barnard College	NY	37	$39,947	$28,800	+$284K
43	Southern Methodist University	TX	37	$38,154	$40,892	+$218K
44	Oklahoma State University-Main Campus	OK	37	$36,547	$17,447†	+$296K
45	Nicholls State University	LA	37	$33,877	$12,947†	+$287K
46	University of Utah	UT	37	$33,081	$16,200†	+$266K
47	University of Missouri-St Louis	MO	37	$32,224	$15,071†	+$262K
48	Rhode Island College	RI	37	$28,241	$9,478†	+$244K
49	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire	WI	36	$34,582	$16,550†	+$280K
50	Shepherd University	WV	36	$33,059	$11,363†	+$285K
51	University of Nevada-Las Vegas	NV	36	$27,740	$10,359†	+$236K
52	University of Wyoming	WY	36	$27,156	$13,599†	+$217K
53	University of Pennsylvania	PA	35	$38,820	$28,699	+$273K
54	Minnesota State University-Mankato	MN	35	$38,717	$19,139†	+$311K
55	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	VA	35	$36,927	$24,953†	+$269K
56	Illinois State University	IL	35	$35,967	$19,398†	+$282K
57	University of South Carolina-Upstate	SC	35	$35,203	$13,557†	+$298K
58	University of Alabama in Huntsville	AL	35	$35,123	$18,796†	+$276K
59	William & Mary	VA	35	$29,752	$19,096†	+$221K
60	Florida State University	FL	35	$26,785	$11,297†	+$223K
61	University of Connecticut-Stamford	CT	35	$24,419	$16,798†	+$177K
62	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus	CT	35	$24,419	$16,403†	+$179K
63	California State University-Fresno	CA	35	$22,167	$7,000†	+$194K
64	California State University-Channel Islands	CA	35	$22,129	$9,849†	+$182K
65	Seattle Pacific University	WA	34	$35,938	$24,488	+$261K
66	Midwestern State University	TX	34	$35,589	$11,656†	+$309K
67	North Park University	IL	34	$33,276	$16,948	+$265K
68	The College of New Jersey	NJ	34	$33,214	$27,646†	+$222K
69	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	WI	34	$31,985	$15,014†	+$260K
70	McNeese State University	LA	34	$31,226	$12,493†	+$262K
71	Middle Tennessee State University	TN	34	$29,084	$13,359†	+$237K
72	University of Southern Indiana	IN	34	$28,890	$12,923†	+$237K
73	Indiana University-Indianapolis	IN	34	$27,595	$11,668†	+$229K
74	University of Washington-Bothell Campus	WA	34	$25,947	$12,319†	+$210K
75	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	TX	34	$21,891	$4,831†	+$200K
76	California State University-Stanislaus	CA	34	$21,288	$6,067†	+$189K
77	University of Wisconsin-Platteville	WI	33	$37,379	$16,032†	+$310K
78	Kennesaw State University	GA	33	$35,846	$15,048†	+$298K
79	Utah State University	UT	33	$33,552	$14,936†	+$276K
80	James Madison University	VA	33	$33,501	$23,322†	+$242K
81	Westfield State University	MA	33	$33,440	$16,721†	+$268K
82	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	IL	33	$33,285	$13,297†	+$280K
83	Skidmore College	NY	33	$30,480	$32,297	+$176K
84	Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development	NM	33	$29,835	$12,570†	+$248K
85	Bridgewater State University	MA	33	$29,595	$16,383†	+$230K
86	Saginaw Valley State University	MI	33	$28,289	$10,775†	+$240K
87	Kansas State University	KS	33	$28,218	$19,406†	+$205K
88	Kean University	NJ	33	$25,928	$12,447†	+$209K
89	University of Houston-Clear Lake	TX	33	$25,274	$15,563†	+$190K
90	The University of Texas at Arlington	TX	33	$25,156	$13,951†	+$196K
91	SUNY Buffalo State University	NY	33	$24,041	$11,346†	+$195K
92	University of Central Florida	FL	33	$23,324	$10,411†	+$192K
93	California State University-Sacramento	CA	33	$20,203	$9,338†	+$165K
94	California State University-San Bernardino	CA	33	$14,447	$4,564†	+$126K
95	University of Massachusetts-Boston	MA	32	$36,980	$17,707†	+$299K
96	American University	DC	32	$35,115	$41,943	+$183K
97	Texas Tech University	TX	32	$34,428	$19,070†	+$268K
98	The University of Texas at Austin	TX	32	$32,088	$19,857†	+$241K
99	Western Oregon University	OR	32	$31,917	$17,237†	+$250K
100	Marist University	NY	32	$31,907	$41,544	+$153K
101	University of Northern Colorado	CO	32	$30,663	$17,760†	+$236K
102	Sonoma State University	CA	32	$29,035	$12,885†	+$239K
103	University of Nebraska at Omaha	NE	32	$28,942	$13,441†	+$236K
104	Purdue University Fort Wayne	IN	32	$27,775	$13,171†	+$225K
105	Western Illinois University	IL	32	$26,196	$12,937†	+$210K
106	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	WA	32	$25,947	$14,091†	+$203K
107	Ferris State University	MI	32	$24,540	$8,624†	+$211K
108	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	NC	32	$24,005	$11,655†	+$193K
109	California State University-Long Beach	CA	32	$21,493	$10,440†	+$173K
110	University of California-Los Angeles	CA	32	$21,220	$12,548†	+$162K
111	Brigham Young University	UT	31	$34,241	$15,564	+$280K
112	Keene State College	NH	31	$31,390	$17,887†	+$242K
113	Sam Houston State University	TX	31	$30,999	$16,404†	+$244K
114	North Carolina State University at Raleigh	NC	31	$30,577	$17,303†	+$237K
115	Towson University	MD	31	$29,958	$17,413†	+$230K
116	Monmouth University	NJ	31	$29,353	$30,988	+$170K
117	Youngstown State University	OH	31	$29,203	$12,767†	+$241K
118	Ball State University	IN	31	$28,405	$14,940†	+$224K
119	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	AZ	31	$27,762	$14,967†	+$218K
120	University of Houston	TX	31	$26,482	$14,276†	+$208K
121	University of Memphis	TN	31	$26,451	$12,397†	+$215K
122	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater	WI	31	$26,122	$14,158†	+$205K
123	Indiana University of Pennsylvania	PA	31	$25,694	$16,804†	+$190K
124	University of West Georgia	GA	31	$25,093	$12,786†	+$200K
125	Brigham Young University-Idaho	ID	31	$25,081	$8,221	+$218K
126	University of South Florida	FL	31	$24,818	$9,812†	+$209K
127	Marshall University	WV	31	$24,475	$7,502†	+$215K
128	University of West Florida	FL	31	$23,843	$9,364†	+$201K
129	University of Florida	FL	31	$23,793	$6,541†	+$212K
130	Florida Gulf Coast University	FL	31	$22,967	$12,568†	+$179K
131	University of California-San Diego	CA	31	$21,777	$12,470†	+$168K
132	Murray State University	KY	31	$21,715	$9,096†	+$181K
133	Berea College	KY	31	$20,036	$6,106	+$176K
134	Connecticut College	CT	30	$36,564	$36,175	+$221K
135	Fordham University	NY	30	$35,929	$44,338	+$182K
136	Syracuse University	NY	30	$32,636	$38,793	+$171K
137	Carnegie Mellon University	PA	30	$32,597	$31,944	+$198K
138	Montana State University	MT	30	$32,265	$22,499†	+$233K
139	University of Wisconsin-Stout	WI	30	$30,077	$17,490†	+$231K
140	Indiana University-Bloomington	IN	30	$29,344	$16,264†	+$228K
141	Western Kentucky University	KY	30	$28,291	$10,990†	+$239K
142	Old Dominion University	VA	30	$27,535	$14,638†	+$217K
143	Northern Illinois University	IL	30	$26,795	$13,391†	+$214K
144	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	PA	30	$26,709	$30,434†	+$145K
145	Binghamton University	NY	30	$25,751	$21,620†	+$171K
146	University of Missouri-Kansas City	MO	30	$25,476	$13,310†	+$202K
147	University of North Georgia	GA	30	$23,530	$9,823†	+$196K
148	Fashion Institute of Technology	NY	30	$23,428	$19,095†	+$158K
149	University of California-Davis	CA	30	$22,700	$14,741†	+$168K
150	University of Illinois Chicago	IL	30	$21,954	$10,974†	+$176K
151	Austin Peay State University	TN	30	$19,157	$9,735†	+$153K
152	University of California-Irvine	CA	30	$16,989	$14,251†	+$113K
153	University of Alabama at Birmingham	AL	29	$30,809	$18,749†	+$233K
154	University of Arkansas at Little Rock	AR	29	$30,733	$17,248†	+$238K
155	Plymouth State University	NH	29	$30,491	$19,216†	+$228K
156	Dartmouth College	NH	29	$30,246	$29,519	+$184K
157	Missouri Southern State University	MO	29	$29,309	$12,007†	+$245K
158	Ohio State University-Main Campus	OH	29	$29,186	$17,339†	+$223K
159	Eastern Michigan University	MI	29	$28,890	$15,407†	+$227K
160	Framingham State University	MA	29	$28,843	$16,114†	+$224K
161	University of Wisconsin-River Falls	WI	29	$28,801	$14,054†	+$232K
162	University of North Texas	TX	29	$27,067	$15,649†	+$208K
163	Troy University	AL	29	$26,917	$16,527†	+$203K
164	SUNY Brockport	NY	29	$26,855	$16,353†	+$203K
165	Salem State University	MA	29	$26,180	$15,996†	+$198K
166	Rowan University	NJ	29	$26,119	$22,408†	+$172K
167	Metropolitan State University of Denver	CO	29	$26,102	$15,327†	+$200K
168	Eastern Kentucky University	KY	29	$25,596	$11,040†	+$212K
169	The University of Texas at San Antonio	TX	29	$23,551	$10,836†	+$192K
170	Indiana University-South Bend	IN	29	$23,308	$8,653†	+$198K
171	California State University-Chico	CA	29	$22,628	$14,480†	+$168K
172	University of Arizona	AZ	28	$30,683	$16,674†	+$240K
173	Minnesota State University Moorhead	MN	28	$30,521	$17,997†	+$233K
174	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	28	$30,503	$17,354†	+$236K
175	Colorado State University-Fort Collins	CO	28	$30,143	$21,279†	+$216K
176	Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania	PA	28	$29,377	$15,699†	+$231K
177	University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point	WI	28	$29,334	$14,559†	+$235K
178	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	NE	28	$28,783	$17,747†	+$217K
179	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus	OK	28	$27,218	$15,300†	+$211K
180	Loyola Marymount University	CA	28	$27,210	$48,381	+$79K
181	Purdue University-Main Campus	IN	28	$27,114	$14,600†	+$213K
182	Lycoming College	PA	28	$25,858	$19,140	+$182K
183	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	NC	28	$25,855	$15,435†	+$197K
184	New York University	NY	28	$25,053	$37,050	+$102K
185	University of Vermont	VT	28	$24,497	$19,343†	+$168K
186	University of Connecticut	CT	28	$24,419	$25,097†	+$144K
187	University of Maryland-Baltimore County	MD	28	$23,879	$16,467†	+$173K
188	Oakland University	MI	28	$22,840	$9,120†	+$192K
189	University of Idaho	ID	28	$22,617	$14,831†	+$167K
190	University of Southern Maine	ME	28	$21,058	$13,596†	+$156K
191	The University of Texas at El Paso	TX	28	$19,506	$9,403†	+$157K
192	University of North Carolina at Greensboro	NC	28	$18,745	$10,965†	+$144K
193	Truman State University	MO	28	$15,998	$12,780†	+$109K
194	University of Alaska Anchorage	AK	27	$30,311	$15,301†	+$242K
195	Vermont State University	VT	27	$30,233	$18,212†	+$229K
196	University of Denver	CO	27	$28,964	$36,131	+$145K
197	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	IL	27	$28,669	$14,355†	+$229K
198	University of Central Arkansas	AR	27	$28,604	$16,511†	+$220K
199	Texas State University	TX	27	$28,445	$16,805†	+$217K
200	University of Iowa	IA	27	$28,008	$22,531†	+$190K
201	Tarleton State University	TX	27	$27,259	$20,783†	+$189K
202	University of Central Missouri	MO	27	$27,236	$14,462†	+$215K
203	Southern Connecticut State University	CT	27	$26,549	$20,857†	+$182K
204	Eastern Illinois University	IL	27	$26,213	$12,786†	+$211K
205	San Francisco State University	CA	27	$24,606	$12,278†	+$197K
206	Northern Michigan University	MI	27	$23,786	$14,085†	+$182K
207	Eastern Connecticut State University	CT	27	$23,534	$21,067†	+$151K
208	Florida International University	FL	27	$22,334	$9,288†	+$186K
209	Montclair State University	NJ	27	$21,934	$15,566†	+$157K
210	Rutgers University-Camden	NJ	27	$21,908	$18,745†	+$144K
211	The New School	NY	27	$20,967	$58,741	−$25K
212	Wayne State University	MI	27	$20,948	$12,766†	+$158K
213	Portland State University	OR	27	$20,866	$9,552†	+$170K
214	Salisbury University	MD	27	$20,632	$17,743†	+$135K
215	New Jersey City University	NJ	27	$19,326	$16,053†	+$129K
216	Ringling College of Art and Design	FL	27	$18,932	$57,742	−$42K
217	Auburn University at Montgomery	AL	27	$18,223	$13,224†	+$129K
218	Boston University	MA	27	$17,374	$24,402	+$76K
219	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	OH	26	$31,128	$24,022†	+$215K
220	Southeast Missouri State University	MO	26	$28,421	$15,882†	+$221K
221	Lee University	TN	26	$26,598	$18,878	+$190K
222	Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	IL	26	$25,259	$14,889†	+$193K
223	University of Arkansas	AR	26	$24,970	$18,209†	+$177K
224	University of Nevada-Reno	NV	26	$24,906	$15,927†	+$185K
225	Northern Arizona University	AZ	26	$24,172	$14,158†	+$185K
226	University of Northern Iowa	IA	26	$24,095	$15,901†	+$177K
227	Radford University	VA	26	$23,308	$14,578†	+$175K
228	San Diego State University	CA	26	$23,186	$15,364†	+$170K
229	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington	PA	26	$23,086	$18,071†	+$159K
230	West Virginia University	WV	26	$23,043	$15,634†	+$168K
231	University of Delaware	DE	26	$21,935	$17,799†	+$148K
232	Rutgers University-Newark	NJ	26	$21,908	$19,703†	+$140K
233	University of California-Riverside	CA	26	$21,792	$14,304†	+$161K
234	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga	TN	26	$21,766	$14,265†	+$161K
235	Vassar College	NY	26	$19,790	$39,343	+$41K
236	George Fox University	OR	25	$31,401	$31,679	+$187K
237	Concordia College at Moorhead	MN	25	$29,986	$24,902	+$200K
238	University of Louisville	KY	25	$28,485	$17,988†	+$213K
239	Wichita State University	KS	25	$27,518	$13,194†	+$222K
240	SUNY Oneonta	NY	25	$27,031	$19,158†	+$194K
241	Moravian University	PA	25	$26,472	$30,670	+$142K
242	Stephen F Austin State University	TX	25	$25,362	$14,260†	+$197K
243	University of South Dakota	SD	25	$25,327	$19,858†	+$174K
244	Western Carolina University	NC	25	$24,253	$13,315†	+$189K
245	University of North Carolina Asheville	NC	25	$23,504	$12,250†	+$186K
246	Southeastern Louisiana University	LA	25	$23,405	$13,154†	+$181K
247	Coastal Carolina University	SC	25	$23,121	$13,966†	+$175K
248	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto	PA	25	$23,086	$19,454†	+$153K
249	University of Missouri-Columbia	MO	25	$23,034	$20,268†	+$149K
250	Columbus State University	GA	25	$22,798	$13,115†	+$176K
251	East Carolina University	NC	25	$21,271	$15,739†	+$150K
252	Georgia State University	GA	25	$21,226	$15,931†	+$149K
253	Hofstra University	NY	25	$20,770	$34,176	+$71K
254	Kent State University at Stark	OH	25	$19,138	$10,897†	+$148K
255	University of Mississippi	MS	25	$18,337	$13,314†	+$130K
256	Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi	TX	25	$17,507	$15,225†	+$114K
257	University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma	OK	25	$14,912	$6,624†	+$123K
258	Laguna College of Art and Design	CA	25	$8,482	$42,505	−$85K
259	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	OH	24	$29,431	$25,648†	+$192K
260	Ohio University-Main Campus	OH	24	$29,053	$21,637†	+$204K
261	Wheaton College (Massachusetts)	MA	24	$28,574	$29,822	+$166K
262	University of South Carolina-Columbia	SC	24	$27,467	$22,811†	+$183K
263	Colorado Mesa University	CO	24	$27,136	$15,103†	+$211K
264	St Olaf College	MN	24	$26,870	$23,874	+$173K
265	State University of New York at Plattsburgh	NY	24	$25,762	$17,156†	+$189K
266	University of Minnesota-Duluth	MN	24	$25,660	$18,743†	+$182K
267	Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania	PA	24	$25,269	$23,726†	+$158K
268	Angelo State University	TX	24	$24,783	$15,091†	+$187K
269	University at Buffalo	NY	24	$24,370	$20,995†	+$160K
270	Grand Valley State University	MI	24	$24,135	$16,317†	+$176K
271	William Paterson University of New Jersey	NJ	24	$23,892	$18,745†	+$164K
272	University of Virginia-Main Campus	VA	24	$23,372	$21,565†	+$147K
273	University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth	MA	24	$23,214	$20,927†	+$148K
274	Pennsylvania State University-World Campus	PA	24	$23,086	$19,550†	+$153K
275	North Carolina Central University	NC	24	$21,980	$15,359†	+$158K
276	Valdosta State University	GA	24	$21,255	$10,945†	+$169K
277	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt	CA	24	$21,052	$13,171†	+$158K
278	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	MN	24	$20,192	$16,778†	+$135K
279	Tennessee Technological University	TN	24	$19,231	$14,246†	+$135K
280	Morehead State University	KY	24	$17,301	$9,793†	+$134K
281	Fayetteville State University	NC	24	$16,454	$7,892†	+$133K
282	North Carolina A & T State University	NC	24	$15,257	$10,846†	+$109K
283	University of Puget Sound	WA	23	$28,469	$38,394	+$131K
284	Central Washington University	WA	23	$26,123	$18,476†	+$187K
285	University of Montevallo	AL	23	$25,150	$17,683†	+$181K
286	Millersville University of Pennsylvania	PA	23	$24,990	$20,787†	+$167K
287	University of Mary Washington	VA	23	$24,013	$20,667†	+$157K
288	Utah Tech University	UT	23	$23,524	$16,039†	+$171K
289	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College	LA	23	$23,348	$19,151†	+$157K
290	Wheaton College	IL	23	$23,202	$26,975	+$124K
291	University of Louisiana at Lafayette	LA	23	$23,150	$13,530†	+$177K
292	Kenyon College	OH	23	$23,082	$38,512	+$77K
293	Oglethorpe University	GA	23	$22,866	$19,509	+$151K
294	University of Akron Main Campus	OH	23	$22,837	$13,946†	+$173K
295	Pace University	NY	23	$22,789	$30,892	+$104K
296	Wright State University-Main Campus	OH	23	$22,631	$15,415†	+$165K
297	Ohio Wesleyan University	OH	23	$22,239	$20,897	+$139K
298	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	NJ	23	$21,908	$24,406†	+$121K
299	Western Michigan University	MI	23	$21,773	$15,273†	+$157K
300	Georgia Southern University	GA	23	$21,214	$15,267†	+$151K
301	Jacksonville State University	AL	23	$20,826	$14,279†	+$151K
302	University of Hawaii at Manoa	HI	23	$17,626	$15,664†	+$114K
303	Winthrop University	SC	23	$16,817	$15,343†	+$107K
304	DePaul University	IL	22	$27,291	$30,902	+$149K
305	Stockton University	NJ	22	$25,099	$20,670†	+$168K
306	College of Charleston	SC	22	$24,070	$18,960†	+$165K
307	Missouri State University-Springfield	MO	22	$24,024	$17,613†	+$170K
308	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	TN	22	$23,661	$18,976†	+$161K
309	Western Washington University	WA	22	$23,102	$21,193†	+$146K
310	SUNY College at Potsdam	NY	22	$22,964	$13,624†	+$175K
311	Fort Lewis College	CO	22	$22,754	$17,296†	+$158K
312	The University of Alabama	AL	22	$21,836	$22,420†	+$129K
313	Lander University	SC	22	$21,605	$15,363†	+$155K
314	University of South Alabama	AL	22	$20,527	$17,648†	+$135K
315	University at Albany	NY	22	$20,116	$17,167†	+$132K
316	Grinnell College	IA	22	$20,111	$17,648	+$131K
317	University of South Carolina Aiken	SC	22	$19,963	$11,641†	+$153K
318	Michigan State University	MI	22	$19,566	$19,680†	+$117K
319	Albright College	PA	22	$18,099	$20,024	+$101K
320	Augusta University	GA	22	$16,943	$13,787†	+$114K
321	University of Oregon	OR	21	$26,404	$22,182†	+$175K
322	Columbus College of Art & Design	OH	21	$25,751	$29,439	+$140K
323	University of Hartford	CT	21	$25,465	$30,282	+$134K
324	Biola University	CA	21	$25,372	$31,495	+$128K
325	Miami University-Oxford	OH	21	$24,912	$28,384†	+$136K
326	Frostburg State University	MD	21	$24,649	$16,715†	+$180K
327	Appalachian State University	NC	21	$22,120	$16,836†	+$154K
328	University of Toledo	OH	21	$21,392	$17,249†	+$145K
329	University of Rhode Island	RI	21	$21,167	$21,440†	+$126K
330	University of California-Santa Cruz	CA	21	$21,106	$17,890†	+$140K
331	Simon's Rock at Bard College	NY	21	$19,327	$31,625	+$67K
332	Bard College	NY	21	$19,327	$34,649	+$55K
333	Shawnee State University	OH	21	$19,261	$14,381†	+$135K
334	Cleveland Institute of Art	OH	21	$18,839	$29,208	+$72K
335	Flagler College	FL	21	$18,694	$30,525	+$65K
336	Mount Holyoke College	MA	21	$18,420	$26,441	+$78K
337	Olivet Nazarene University	IL	21	$16,290	$20,729	+$80K
338	Spalding University	KY	21	$14,940	$25,491	+$47K
339	Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico	PR	21	$7,453	$5,669†	+$52K
340	Pacific Northwest College of Art	OR	20	$25,906	$35,785	+$116K
341	Cleveland State University	OH	20	$23,352	$14,764†	+$174K
342	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	PA	20	$23,086	$32,875†	+$99K
343	Columbia College Chicago	IL	20	$22,765	$26,598	+$121K
344	Pennsylvania Western University	PA	20	$21,523	$18,256†	+$142K
345	University of Wisconsin-La Crosse	WI	20	$19,407	$16,210†	+$129K
346	Emporia State University	KS	20	$19,276	$16,261†	+$128K
347	University of New Mexico-Main Campus	NM	20	$19,227	$15,489†	+$130K
348	Central Michigan University	MI	20	$18,117	$17,597†	+$111K
349	University of Massachusetts-Amherst	MA	20	$18,072	$22,383†	+$91K
350	University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras	PR	20	$4,699	$9,175†	+$10K
351	Maine College of Art & Design	ME	19	$24,555	$38,338	+$92K
352	Pacific Lutheran University	WA	19	$23,766	$19,589	+$159K
353	Alfred University	NY	19	$22,912	$25,620	+$127K
354	Kansas City Art Institute	MO	19	$22,906	$27,650	+$118K
355	The University of Montana	MT	19	$22,149	$16,784†	+$154K
356	Temple University	PA	19	$22,108	$28,198†	+$108K
357	Virginia Commonwealth University	VA	19	$21,916	$23,433†	+$125K
358	Georgia College & State University	GA	19	$21,542	$20,686†	+$133K
359	University of North Carolina Wilmington	NC	19	$20,072	$20,109†	+$120K
360	Kutztown University of Pennsylvania	PA	19	$19,413	$21,331†	+$109K
361	The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art	NY	19	$16,678	$13,269	+$114K
362	University of Kansas	KS	19	$16,629	$18,059†	+$94K
363	School of the Art Institute of Chicago	IL	18	$23,984	$49,790	+$41K
364	Arcadia University	PA	18	$22,389	$29,466	+$106K
365	Massachusetts College of Art and Design	MA	18	$21,461	$24,100†	+$118K
366	Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design	WI	18	$20,762	$26,541	+$101K
367	Smith College	MA	18	$20,171	$27,579	+$91K
368	Kent State University at Kent	OH	18	$19,138	$20,787†	+$108K
369	State University of New York at New Paltz	NY	18	$18,842	$18,809†	+$113K
370	University of Colorado Boulder	CO	18	$17,501	$25,346†	+$74K
371	Keystone College	PA	18	$16,392	$22,051	+$76K
372	Montserrat College of Art	MA	17	$21,543	$33,216	+$83K
373	Maryland Institute College of Art	MD	17	$21,138	$42,729	+$40K
374	Savannah College of Art and Design	GA	17	$20,643	$49,430	+$9K
375	Adelphi University	NY	17	$17,155	$30,783	+$48K
376	East Tennessee State University	TN	17	$16,696	$15,983†	+$103K
377	SUNY at Purchase College	NY	17	$14,984	$18,913†	+$74K
378	Pratt Institute-Main	NY	16	$18,451	$52,659	−$26K
379	California College of the Arts	CA	16	$17,690	$53,909	−$39K
380	Tufts University	MA	16	$17,154	$39,998	+$12K
381	Rhode Island School of Design	RI	16	$16,510	$50,507	−$37K
382	Minneapolis College of Art and Design	MN	16	$14,829	$29,926	+$29K
383	Art Academy of Cincinnati	OH	16	$13,252	$34,253	−$4K
384	Otis College of Art and Design	CA	15	$11,590	$51,248	−$89K
385	Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts	PA	15	$10,780	$42,454	−$62K

Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI

How to read this: Median earnings = typical pay one year after graduation. Net price = average annual cost after grant aid, incl. living costs — not sticker tuition. 10-yr net ROI = ten years of earnings minus four years of net price. Score = the CollegeRanked Score (0–100) that sets the order — it blends ROI with longer-run earnings, job demand and automation resilience, so a school can outrank one with a slightly higher 10-yr ROI. † = public university — net price shown is the in-state cost; out-of-state students pay more. See the full methodology.

Why these schools rank where they do

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo takes the top spot by treating fine arts less like a solitary pursuit and more like an applied profession. Cal Poly’s famous "Learn by Doing" ethos means art and design students frequently collaborate with the university's powerhouse architecture and engineering programs. They graduate with highly technical, commercially viable portfolios that appeal to West Coast tech and media companies, proving that they aren't just making art—they are solving visual problems for high-paying industries.

The rest of the leaderboard is a fascinating split between ultra-elite private schools and gritty commuter colleges, united by their geography. Columbia University and Williams College post phenomenal outcomes because their colossal endowments wipe out tuition for most students, and their alumni networks serve as VIP passes into the highest echelons of the New York gallery scene. But right alongside them are CUNY Lehman, Queens, and City College. These public schools offer an entirely different, yet equally successful, blueprint: they charge rock-bottom tuition while keeping students embedded in the heart of New York City. CUNY graduates can afford to take the low-paying studio assistant gigs, gallery internships, and freelance commissions that eventually build a sustainable artistic career, simply because they aren't drowning in student loan payments.

What is Fine Arts?

Fine Arts is the rigorous study of visual expression, spanning traditional mediums like painting and sculpture to digital fabrication, photography, and multimedia installations. Day-to-day, working artists and creative professionals spend their time conceptualizing projects, producing work in studios or on screens, navigating brutal critiques, and managing the business side of gallery exhibitions, commissions, or commercial design contracts.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a BFA, or is a BA in Fine Arts enough?

If your goal is to become a working studio artist, designer, or fabricator, the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is the industry standard. It requires significantly more hands-on studio hours than a BA, which pairs a lighter art curriculum with broader liberal arts requirements. A BA is perfectly fine if you want to work in arts administration, art history, or gallery management, but makers need the intensive, uninterrupted studio time a BFA provides.

Does the location of my college matter?

More than almost any other major. The contemporary art market, major galleries, and commercial design agencies are heavily concentrated in a few cultural hubs—primarily New York and Los Angeles. Attending a school in or near these cities gives you a massive advantage in securing internships, finding mentors, and getting your work in front of the curators and collectors who actually buy and show art.

Will employers care where I got my art degree?

In the creative industries, your portfolio is your resume. A prestigious degree might help get a gallery director to look at your website, but if the work isn't compelling, an Ivy League name won't save you. The true value of a top-ranked art program isn't the name on the diploma; it's the caliber of the faculty critiquing your work and the peer network you build before entering a notoriously relationship-driven market.