2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region
Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts School for You
In 2020-2021, 149,215 visual and performing arts students received a degree or certificate, making the major the #10 most popular in the country.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 79 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges.
Top 15% Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools
Our analysis found University of California - Berkeley to be the best school for visual and performing arts students who want to pursue a degree in the Far Western US Region . Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from UC Berkeley carry an average student debtload of $16,924.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend National University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region list. National University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of La Jolla.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at National University Report
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a great place for visual and performing arts students. UW Seattle is a very large public school located in the large city of Seattle.
The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at UW Seattle take out is $15,288.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at University of Washington - Seattle Campus Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public school with a very large student population.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Mount Saint Mary’s University is a great place for visual and performing arts students. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
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Loyola Marymount University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for visual and performing arts students. It came in at #6 on the list. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
On average, visual and performing arts graduates from Loyola Marymount take out $22,932 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $983, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Loyola Marymount University Report
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With a ranking of #7, University of Southern California did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students. USC is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
On average, visual and performing arts graduates from USC take out $20,385 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $562.
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With a ranking of #8, University of California - Irvine did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students. Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public school with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at UC Irvine accumulate an average of around $17,754 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $250.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at University of California - Irvine Report
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With a ranking of #9, University of Puget Sound did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students. Located in the city of Tacoma, Puget Sound is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Visual & Performing Arts majors at Puget Sound take out an average of $26,507 in student loans while working on their egree.
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With a ranking of #10, University of California - Davis did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public school with a fairly large student population.
On average, visual and performing arts graduates from UC Davis take out $15,158 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $319.
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University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best visual and performing arts programs. Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public school with a very large student population.
On average, visual and performing arts graduates from UCSB take out $17,632 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $259.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of California - Santa Barbara
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Chapman University | Orange, CA |
| 13 | University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 14 | Otis College of Art and Design | Los Angeles, CA |
| 15 | University of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges by State
Explore the best visual and performing arts schools for a specific state in the Far Western US region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| California | 22,397 |
| Washington | 1,718 |
| Oregon | 1,672 |
| Hawaii | 196 |
| Nevada | 554 |
| Alaska | 60 |
More Visual & Performing Arts Rankings in the Far Western US Region
Rankings in Majors Related to Visual & Performing Arts
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 |
Majors Similar to Visual & Performing Arts
| 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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