2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools
Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 388 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best master's 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.
2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the United States
Check out the visual and performing arts master's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 25 Top Schools for a Master's in Visual & Performing Arts
Our analysis found Duke University to be the best school for visual and performing arts students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the United States. Duke is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Duke University
Request Information
Out of the 388 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Notre Dame landed the # 2 spot on the list. Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at University of Notre Dame Report
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dartmouth College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. Dartmouth is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Hanover.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Dartmouth College Report
Request Information
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means The Graduate Center, CUNY is a great place for visual and performing arts students working on their master’s degree. The Graduate Center is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of New York.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at The Graduate Center, CUNY
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Emory University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. Emory is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Atlanta.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Emory University
Request Information
Messiah University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Messiah is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Mechanicsburg.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Messiah University
Request Information
Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #7 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. Illinois Tech is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Illinois Institute of Technology
Request Information
Sotheby’s Institute of Art - NY came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Sotheby's Institute of Art - NY is a small private for-profit school located in the city of New York.
Request Information
Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for visual and performing arts students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Report
Request Information
Teachers College at Columbia University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree visual and performing arts programs. Located in the city of New York, Teachers College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Teachers College at Columbia University
Request Information
University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for visual and performing arts students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the town of Kearney, UNK is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Request Information
With a ranking of #12, Virginia Tech did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students working on their master’s degree. Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public college with a very large student population.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Virginia Tech Report
Request Information
Brandeis University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. Brandeis is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waltham.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Brandeis University Report
Request Information
With a ranking of #14, Kansas State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students working on their master’s degree. K -State is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Manhattan.
Request Information
Sacred Heart University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Sacred Heart is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Fairfield.
Request Information
Michigan State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Request Information
American Film Institute Conservatory did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for visual and performing arts students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #17 on the list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, American Film Institute is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Request Information
With a ranking of #18, North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public college with a large student population.
Request Information
Eastern Illinois University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. EIU is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Charleston.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Eastern Illinois University
Request Information
University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for visual and performing arts students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in the large city of Lincoln, UNL is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Request Information
Williams College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the town of Williamstown, Williams is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Request Information
Sam Houston State University landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree visual and performing arts programs. SHSU is a fairly large public school located in the town of Huntsville.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Sam Houston State University
Request Information
American University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. The American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at American University Report
Request Information
University of California - Berkeley came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the city of Berkeley.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of California - Berkeley
Request Information
Texas A&M University - Kingsville landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree visual and performing arts programs. Located in the town of Kingsville, Texas A&M Kingsville is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Request InformationRest of the Top Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools
Additional Award Winners
This section represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 388 different United States visual and performing arts schools we analyzed.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of Wisconsin - Stout | Menomonie, WI |
| 52 | Columbia University in the City of New York | New York, NY |
| 53 | Texas Woman’s University | Denton, TX |
| 54 | Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA |
| 55 | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Madison, WI |
| 56 | San Jose State University | San Jose, CA |
| 57 | University of South Dakota | Vermillion, SD |
| 58 | Towson University | Towson, MD |
Honorable Mentions
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 Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 59 | University of California - San Diego | La Jolla, CA |
| 60 | Boston University | Boston, MA |
| 61 | University of North Carolina School of the Arts | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 62 | University of California - Davis | Davis, CA |
| 63 | Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles, CA |
| 64 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL |
| 65 | Syracuse University | Syracuse, NY |
| 66 | Ohio State University - Main Campus | Columbus, OH |
| 67 | The University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, TX |
| 68 | The University of Montana | Missoula, MT |
| 69 | University of California - Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| 70 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | Edinburg, TX |
| 71 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA |
| 72 | Tufts University | Medford, MA |
| 73 | College for Creative Studies | Detroit, MI |
| 74 | University of Iowa | Iowa City, IA |
| 75 | University of Delaware | Newark, DE |
| 76 | University of Connecticut | Storrs, CT |
| 77 | University of Kentucky | Lexington, KY |
Visual & Performing Arts by Region
View the Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's 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.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.