2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Colorado
Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts School for You
In 2020-2021, 1,943 degrees and certificates were awarded to visual and performing arts students who went to a Colorado college or university. This makes it the #11 most popular major in the state.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
The Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Colorado ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 12 schools in Colorado to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Colorado
The following schools top our list of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges.
Top 10 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools
Our analysis found Colorado State University - Fort Collins to be the best school for visual and performing arts students who want to pursue a degree in Colorado. Colorado State is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Fort Collins.
On average, visual and performing arts graduates from Colorado State take out $25,232 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $467.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Colorado State University - Fort Collins Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Arapahoe Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Colorado list. Arapahoe Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Littleton.
Visual & Performing Arts majors at Arapahoe Community College take out an average of $23,985 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Colorado list. Located in the large city of Denver, CU Anschutz is a public school with a fairly large student population.
On average, visual and performing arts graduates from CU Anschutz take out $25,837 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $267.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Colorado Boulder. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Colorado list. Located in the medium-sized city of Boulder, CU - Boulder is a public college with a very large student population.
On average, visual and performing arts graduates from CU - Boulder take out $20,437 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Colorado. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Colorado list. University of Northern Colorado is a fairly large public school located in the city of Greeley.
While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at University of Northern Colorado accumulate an average of around $24,382 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $349.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at University of Northern Colorado Report
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Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design 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. RMCAD is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Lakewood.
After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from RMCAD carry an average student debtload of $44,406. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $420, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design Report
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With a ranking of #7, Community College of Aurora did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students. Located in the city of Aurora, CCA is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
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University of Denver ranked #8 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Colorado list. Located in the city of Denver, DU is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
On average, visual and performing arts graduates from DU take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Fort Lewis College 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. FLC is a small public school located in the distant town of Durango.
On average, visual and performing arts graduates from FLC take out $17,881 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Fort Lewis College Report
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Colorado Mesa University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Colorado list. Colorado Mesa is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Grand Junction.
Visual & Performing Arts majors at Colorado Mesa take out an average of $28,244 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Colorado Mesa University Report
Request InformationBest Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region
Explore all the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Utah | 1,871 |
| Montana | 318 |
| Idaho | 591 |
| Wyoming | 179 |
More Visual & Performing Arts Rankings in Colorado
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 |
Majors Similar to Visual & Performing Arts
| 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 12 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.