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Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina

2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina

21 Colleges
$24,820 Avg Salary
$24,919 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts School for You

In 2020-2021, 3,215 degrees and certificates were awarded to visual and performing arts students who went to a North Carolina college or university. This makes it the #13 most popular major in the state.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right 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 North Carolina ranking. Our analysis looked at 21 schools in North Carolina to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina

The following schools top our list of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges.

Top 10 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools

#1

Duke University

Durham, NC

Our analysis found Duke University to be the best school for visual and performing arts students who want to pursue a degree in North Carolina. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Duke University Report

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem, UNCSA is a public college with a small student population.

On average, visual and performing arts graduates from UNCSA take out $26,169 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $444.

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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a great place for visual and performing arts students. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public school with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from UNC Chapel Hill carry an average student debtload of $17,919.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Report

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means North Carolina State University is a great place for visual and performing arts students. Located in the large city of Raleigh, NC State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at NC State take out is $23,695.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at North Carolina State University Report

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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a great place for visual and performing arts students. Located in the city of Charlotte, UNC Charlotte is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at UNC Charlotte accumulate an average of around $26,594 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $165, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at University of North Carolina at Charlotte Report

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#6

High Point University

High Point, NC

High Point University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best visual and performing arts programs. High Point is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of High Point.

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Appalachian State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best visual and performing arts programs. Appalachian State is a fairly large public school located in the town of Boone.

The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at Appalachian State take out is $24,534. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $299, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#8

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC

East Carolina University 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. ECU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Greenville.

On average, visual and performing arts graduates from ECU take out $26,400 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $228, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#9

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC

Meredith College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina ranking. Located in the large city of Raleigh, Meredith is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from Meredith carry an average student debtload of $25,000.

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University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #10 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the city of Greensboro, UNC Greensboro is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, visual and performing arts graduates from UNC Greensboro take out $25,042 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $158.

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Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
West Virginia 405
South Carolina 1,360
Florida 7,291
Virginia 3,471
Arkansas 830
Mississippi 696
Louisiana 1,147
Alabama 1,142
Kentucky 1,067
Georgia 4,322
Tennessee 2,629

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 21 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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