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 analysis found Lafayette College to be the best school for visual and performing arts students who want to pursue a degree in Pennsylvania. Lafayette is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Easton.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Messiah University is a great place for visual and performing arts students. Located in the suburb of Mechanicsburg, Messiah is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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Out of the 33 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Carnegie Mellon University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Carnegie Mellon is a 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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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Pennsylvania list. WCUPA is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of West Chester.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit college with a very 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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With a ranking of #6, Muhlenberg College did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students. Muhlenberg is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize 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 came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public college with a fairly 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 ranked #8 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the small 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 landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best visual and performing arts programs. 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 landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best visual and performing arts programs. Located in the large suburb of Millersville, Millersville is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
On average, visual and performing arts graduates from Millersville take out $27,750 in student loans while working on their degree.
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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