2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts School for You
In 2020-2021, 149,215 visual and performing arts students received their degrees and certificates, making the major the #10 most popular in the country.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. This report analyzed 617 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value programs for visual and performing arts students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality in Visual & Performing Arts
Our 2023 rankings named Madison Area Technical College the best value school in the United States for visual and performing arts students. Located in the city of Madison, Madison College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Madison College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,769 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from Madison College carry an average student debtload of $14,374.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Madison College also is in the top 5% of our Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking.
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The excellent programs at Metropolitan Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best visual and performing arts schools in the United States. Located in the large city of Omaha, MCC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MCC are $4,680 a year. After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from MCC carry an average student debtload of $12,098.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Collin County Community College District. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. Collin County Community College District is a very large public school located in the midsize suburb of McKinney.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Collin County Community College District are $5,104 per year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Collin County Community College District also did well on our Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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The excellent programs at Johnson County Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best visual and performing arts schools in the United States. Located in the midsize city of Overland Park, JCCC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at JCCC are $5,352 a year. Visual & Performing Arts majors at JCCC take out an average of $11,449 in student loans while working on their egree.
In addition to its great value ranking, JCCC is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools list.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Century College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. Century College is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of White Bear Lake.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Century College are $5,907 per year.
Century College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools list.
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Brigham Young University - Idaho came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. BYU - I is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the town of Rexburg.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BYU - I are $4,416 a year. Visual & Performing Arts majors at BYU - I take out an average of $14,157 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Brigham Young University - Provo came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. BYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Provo.
BYU undergraduate students pay an average of $6,120 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at BYU take out is $11,000.
BYU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools list.
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LaGuardia Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. LaGuardia is a large public school located in the city of Long Island City.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at LaGuardia are $8,098 per year.
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John Tyler Community College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value visual and performing arts programs. Located in the large suburb of Chester, John Tyler Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
John Tyler Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,803 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at John Tyler Community College take out is $5,418.
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With a ranking of #10, Gwinnett Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for visual and performing arts students. Located in the large suburb of Lawrenceville, GTC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at GTC are $5,636 a year. While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at GTC accumulate an average of around $16,605 in student debt.
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Scottsdale Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for visual and performing arts students. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the rural area of Scottsdale, Scottsdale Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Scottsdale Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,854 in tuition and fees each year. On average, visual and performing arts graduates from Scottsdale Community College take out $11,594 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Spokane Falls Community College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. Spokane Falls Community College is a small public school located in the city of Spokane.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Spokane Falls Community College are $5,135 a year. The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at Spokane Falls Community College take out is $14,193.
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Milwaukee Area Technical College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools ranking. MATC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Milwaukee.
MATC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,908 in tuition and fees each year.
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Finger Lakes Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for visual and performing arts students. It came in at #14 on the list. Located in the rural area of Canandaigua, Finger Lakes Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Finger Lakes Community College are $6,710 per year.
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Minneapolis Community and Technical College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. Minneapolis Community and Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Minneapolis.
Minneapolis Community and Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,906 in tuition and fees each year. On average, visual and performing arts graduates from Minneapolis Community and Technical College take out $24,174 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Valencia College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. Located in the city of Orlando, Valencia College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Valencia College are $9,383 a year. On average, visual and performing arts graduates from Valencia College take out $13,092 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #17, El Centro College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for visual and performing arts students. Located in the city of Dallas, El Centro College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at El Centro College are $6,000 a year. On average, visual and performing arts graduates from El Centro College take out $13,783 in student loans while working on their degree.
El Centro College also claimed a spot on our Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. Located in the city of San Juan, UPR Rio Piedras is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UPR Rio Piedras are $4,940 a year. While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at UPR Rio Piedras accumulate an average of around $5,500 in student debt.
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Sinclair Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for visual and performing arts students. It came in at #19 on the list. Sinclair Community College is a large public school located in the city of Dayton.
Sinclair Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,076 in tuition and fees each year. Visual & Performing Arts majors at Sinclair Community College take out an average of $14,075 in student loans while working on their egree.
Sinclair Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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West Texas A&M University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for visual and performing arts students. It came in at #20 on the list. West Texas A&M University is a medium-sized public school located in the fringe town of Canyon.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at West Texas A&M University are $11,208 per year. On average, visual and performing arts graduates from West Texas A&M University take out $21,825 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #21, Borough of Manhattan Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for visual and performing arts students. BMCC is a large public school located in the city of New York.
BMCC undergraduate students pay an average of $8,050 in tuition and fees each year. On average, visual and performing arts graduates from BMCC take out $9,062 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value visual and performing arts programs. Located in the rural area of Santa Fe, Institute of American Indian Arts is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Institute of American Indian Arts are $5,321 a year.
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With a ranking of #23, Ivy Tech Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for visual and performing arts students. Ivy Tech Community College is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Indianapolis.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ivy Tech Community College are $8,927 per year. After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from Ivy Tech Community College carry an average student debtload of $13,912.
In addition to its great value ranking, Ivy Tech Community College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools list.
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North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for visual and performing arts students. It came in at #24 on the list. Located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at North Dakota State University are $14,876 a year. On average, visual and performing arts graduates from North Dakota State University take out $24,833 in student loans while working on their degree.
North Dakota State University also claimed a spot on our Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for visual and performing arts students. It came in at #25 on the list. Located in the distant town of Kearney, UNK is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
UNK undergraduate students pay an average of $15,320 in tuition and fees each year.
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Additional Award Winners
This section shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 617 different United States visual and performing arts schools we analyzed.
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools award.
Visual & Performing Arts by Region
View the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Visual & Performing Arts Rankings
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.
- 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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