2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Associate Degree Schools
Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts Associate Degree School for You
In 2020-2021, 149,215 visual and performing arts students received their degrees and certificates, making the major the #10 most popular in the country.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
The Best Visual & Performing Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 141 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Associate Degree Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the best for visual and performing arts majors pursuing a associate degree.
Top 15% Best Visual & Performing Arts Associate Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts the best school in the United States for visual and performing arts students working on their associate degree. KD Conservatory is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Dallas.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend SAE Institute - Atlanta. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Atlanta, SAE Institute - Atlanta is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at SAE Institute - Atlanta Report
The excellent associate degree programs at SAE Institute - Nashville helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best visual and performing arts schools in the United States. Located in the large city of Nashville, SAE Institute - Nashville is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at SAE Institute - Nashville Report
Out of the 141 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, John Tyler Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Chester, John Tyler Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Madison Area Technical College is a great place for visual and performing arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Madison, Madison College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Madison Area Technical College
With a ranking of #6, The Modern College of Design did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Kettering, The Modern College of Design is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at The Modern College of Design
SAE Institute - Chicago ranked #7 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the large city of Chicago, SAE Institute - Chicago is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at SAE Institute - Chicago Report
New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts ranked #8 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the city of New York, New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
With a ranking of #9, American Musical and Dramatic Academy did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students working on their associate degree. American Musical and Dramatic Academy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
Alexandria Technical & Community College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree visual and performing arts programs. ATCC is a small public school located in the remote town of Alexandria.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Alexandria Technical & Community College Report
University of South Dakota ranked #11 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the town of Vermillion, USD is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Waukesha County Technical College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree visual and performing arts programs. Located in the large suburb of Pewaukee, WCTC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
With a ranking of #13, The New School did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students working on their associate degree. New School University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at The New School
LaGuardia Community College landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree visual and performing arts programs. LaGuardia is a fairly large public school located in the city of Long Island City.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at LaGuardia Community College
Arapahoe Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. Arapahoe Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Littleton.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Arapahoe Community College
With a ranking of #16, Bismarck State College did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students working on their associate degree. BSC is a small public school located in the city of Bismarck.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Bismarck State College Report
Scottsdale Community College landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree visual and performing arts programs. Located in the rural area of Scottsdale, Scottsdale Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Scottsdale Community College Report
With a ranking of #18, Austin Community College District did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a public college with a very large student population.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Austin Community College District Report
With a ranking of #19, Valencia College did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the large city of Orlando, Valencia College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Johnson County Community College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree visual and performing arts programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Overland Park, JCCC is a public school with a large student population.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Johnson County Community College
Interior Designers Institute did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for visual and performing arts students to get a associate degree. It came in at #21 on the list. Interior Designers Institute is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of Newport Beach.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Interior Designers Institute
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for Visual & Performing Arts students that almost earned our Best Visual & Performing Arts Associate Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Academy of Art University | San Francisco, CA |
| 23 | Collin County Community College District | McKinney, TX |
| 24 | Sessions College for Professional Design | Tempe, AZ |
| 25 | Macomb Community College | Warren, MI |
| 26 | FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| 27 | Bay State College | Boston, MA |
| 28 | Western Technical College | La Crosse, WI |
Visual & Performing Arts by Region
View the Best Visual & Performing Arts Associate Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Visual & Performing Arts Rankings
Visual & Performing Arts Related Rankings by Major
Visual & Performing Arts Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 37,413 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 36,301 |
| Music | 25,910 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 17,341 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 16,778 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 6,355 |
| Arts & Media Management | 4,788 |
| Dance | 3,288 |
| Other Visual Art | 912 |
| Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry | 119 |
| Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art | 10 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities | 556,813 |
| English Language & Literature | 54,635 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 33,333 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 27,459 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 19,993 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Bonnielou2013.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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