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Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts

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2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts

29 Colleges
$28,005 Avg Salary
$25,938 Avg Student Debt

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

#1

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA

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 city of Worcester.

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#2

Brandeis University

Waltham, MA

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Brandeis University is a great place for visual and performing arts students. 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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#3

Williams College

Williamstown, MA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Williams is a small private not-for-profit school located in the fringe 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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#4

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA

Out of the 29 schools in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, Boston College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Boston College is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chestnut Hill.

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#5

Wellesley College

Wellesley, MA

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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#6

Emerson College

Boston, MA

Emerson College 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. Emerson is a medium-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.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Emerson College

#7

Tufts University

Medford, MA

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 fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the 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.

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#8

Boston University

Boston, MA

With a ranking of #8, Boston University did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students. Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit college 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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#9

Gordon College

Wenham, MA

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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#10

Northeastern University

Boston, MA

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 very 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.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Northeastern University

Best 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

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

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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