Find Affordable College Courses

What Do You Want to Study?

Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Iowa

2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Iowa

7 Colleges
$28,405 Avg Salary
$24,325 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts School for You

With 1,309 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, visual and performing arts is the #12 most popular major in Iowa.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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.

The Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Iowa ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 7 schools in Iowa to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Iowa

The colleges and universities below are the best for visual and performing arts majors pursuing a .

Top Iowa Schools in Visual & Performing Arts

#1

Luther College

Decorah, IA

Our 2023 rankings named Luther College the best school in Iowa for visual and performing arts students. Luther is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Decorah.

After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from Luther carry an average student debtload of $27,000.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Luther College Report

Request Information
#2

Drake University

Des Moines, IA

Out of the 7 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Drake University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Des Moines, Drake is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Drake University Report

Request Information
#3

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

The excellent programs at University of Iowa helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best visual and performing arts schools in Iowa. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public college with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at Iowa take out is $25,006. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $309, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at University of Iowa Report

Request Information

Out of the 7 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Iowa State is a very large public school located in the small city of Ames.

The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at Iowa State take out is $27,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $262, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Iowa State University

Request Information
#5

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Iowa list. Located in the small city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

On average, visual and performing arts graduates from UNI take out $22,883 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at University of Northern Iowa Report

Request Information
#6

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, IA

Coe College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Iowa ranking. Coe is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cedar Rapids.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Coe College Report

Request Information

With a ranking of #7, Des Moines Area Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students. Located in the large suburb of Ankeny, DMACC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Visual & Performing Arts majors at DMACC take out an average of $14,167 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Des Moines Area Community College Report

Request Information

Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Plains States Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Kansas 920
Minnesota 1,711
South Dakota 188
Missouri 1,911
Nebraska 727
North Dakota 160

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 7 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.

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.