2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Pennsylvania
Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts School for You
In 2020-2021, visual and performing arts students earned 5,464 degrees and certificates from a Pennsylvania school, making the subject the 9th in the state.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. This report analyzed 33 schools in Pennsylvania to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Pennsylvania
The colleges and universities below are the best for visual and performing arts majors pursuing a .
Top 10 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Lafayette College the best school in Pennsylvania for visual and performing arts students. Lafayette is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Easton.
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The excellent programs at Messiah University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best visual and performing arts schools in Pennsylvania. Located in the large suburb of Mechanicsburg, Messiah is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Carnegie Mellon University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Pennsylvania list. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Pittsburgh.
After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from Carnegie Mellon carry an average student debtload of $25,831.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a great place for visual and performing arts students. WCUPA is a large public school located in the suburb of West Chester.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Pennsylvania is a great place for visual and performing arts students. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at UPenn take out is $24,541.
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Muhlenberg College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Muhlenberg is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Allentown.
After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from Muhlenberg carry an average student debtload of $26,966. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $538.
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University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best visual and performing arts programs. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public school with a very large student population.
Visual & Performing Arts majors at Pitt take out an average of $25,616 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Lebanon Valley College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for visual and performing arts students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the suburb of Annville, LVC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, visual and performing arts graduates from LVC take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for visual and performing arts students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the distant town of Slippery Rock, SRU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at SRU take out is $29,000.
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Millersville University of Pennsylvania ranked #10 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the large suburb of Millersville, Millersville is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
On average, visual and performing arts graduates from Millersville take out $27,750 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Millersville University of Pennsylvania Report
Request InformationBest Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
Explore all the Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | 2,574 |
| New York | 16,536 |
| Maryland | 2,055 |
| Delaware | 182 |
| District of Columbia | 586 |
More Visual & Performing Arts Rankings in Pennsylvania
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 |
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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