2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts
Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts School for You
In 2020-2021, visual and performing arts students earned 5,195 degrees and certificates from a Massachusetts 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. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
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 Massachusetts ranking. Our analysis looked at 29 schools in Massachusetts to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts
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 College of the Holy Cross to be the best school for visual and performing arts students who want to pursue a degree in Massachusetts. Holy Cross is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Worcester.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brandeis University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the small city of Waltham, Brandeis is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
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The excellent programs at Williams College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best visual and performing arts schools in Massachusetts. Williams is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Williamstown.
Visual & Performing Arts majors at Williams take out an average of $10,803 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Boston College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Boston College is a large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Chestnut Hill.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Wellesley College is a great place for visual and performing arts students. Wellesley is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Wellesley.
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Emerson College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Emerson is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Boston.
While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at Emerson accumulate an average of around $25,500 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $1,019.
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With a ranking of #7, Tufts University did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students. Tufts is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Medford.
After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from Tufts carry an average student debtload of $26,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $704, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Tufts University Report
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Boston University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the large city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
On average, visual and performing arts graduates from Boston U take out $26,587 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #9, Gordon College did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students. Gordon College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wenham.
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Northeastern University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for visual and performing arts students. It came in at #10 on the list. Northeastern is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston.
Visual & Performing Arts majors at Northeastern take out an average of $25,509 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Northeastern University Report
Request InformationBest Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the New England Region
Explore all the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 931 |
| Maine | 274 |
| Rhode Island | 709 |
| Connecticut | 1,531 |
| Vermont | 550 |
More Visual & Performing Arts Rankings in Massachusetts
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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