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Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

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2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

138 Colleges
$16,051 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$26,982 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts School for You

With 149,215 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, visual and performing arts is the #10 most popular major in the United States.

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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 Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 138 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region 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.

When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

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

Top 15% Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools

#1

LaGuardia Community College

Long Island City, NY
$8,098 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found LaGuardia Community College to be the best value school for visual and performing arts students who want to pursue a degree in the Middle Atlantic Region . LaGuardia is a fairly 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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$6,710 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 138 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Finger Lakes Community College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the rural area of Canandaigua, Finger Lakes Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Finger Lakes Community College are $6,710 a year.

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$8,050 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Borough of Manhattan Community College is a great value for visual and performing arts students. BMCC is a fairly large public school located in the city of New York.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BMCC are $8,050 a year. After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from BMCC carry an average student debtload of $9,062.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Borough of Manhattan Community College

#4

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, PA
$38,370 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Messiah University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best visual and performing arts schools in the Middle Atlantic Region . Messiah is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Mechanicsburg.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Messiah are $38,370 per year.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Messiah University

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means The Graduate Center, CUNY is a great value for visual and performing arts students. The Graduate Center is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of New York.

The Graduate Center undergraduate students pay an average of $15,360 in tuition and fees each year.

In addition to its great value ranking, The Graduate Center is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at The Graduate Center, CUNY

$9,818 Average Tuition & Fees

Harrisburg Area Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. HACC is a large public school located in the small city of Harrisburg.

HACC undergraduate students pay an average of $9,818 in tuition and fees each year. On average, visual and performing arts graduates from HACC take out $18,008 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Harrisburg Area Community College

With a ranking of #7, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best value schools for visual and performing arts students. SRU is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Slippery Rock.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SRU are $14,615 per year. While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at SRU accumulate an average of around $29,000 in student debt.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Report

#8

Lehigh Carbon Community College

Schnecksville, PA
$12,060 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #8, Lehigh Carbon Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for visual and performing arts students. Located in the suburb of Schnecksville, LCCC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at LCCC are $12,060 a year.

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$10,844 Average Tuition & Fees

Onondaga 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 #9 on the list. Located in the suburb of Syracuse, OCC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

OCC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,844 in tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Onondaga Community College

#10

County College of Morris

Randolph, NJ
$13,620 Average Tuition & Fees

County College of Morris did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for visual and performing arts students. It came in at #10 on the list. County College of Morris is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Randolph.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at County College of Morris are $13,620 a year. The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at County College of Morris take out is $12,900.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at County College of Morris

$9,554 Average Tuition & Fees

Brookdale Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Brookdale Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the rural area of Lincroft.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Brookdale Community College are $9,554 a year.

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West Chester University of Pennsylvania landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value visual and performing arts programs. Located in the large suburb of West Chester, WCUPA is a public college with a fairly large student population.

WCUPA undergraduate students pay an average of $22,247 in tuition and fees each year.

WCUPA excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.

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$8,132 Average Tuition & Fees

Kingsborough Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. KCC is a large public school located in the large city of Brooklyn.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at KCC are $8,132 per year. While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at KCC accumulate an average of around $6,980 in student debt.

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#14

Hood College

Frederick, MD

Hood College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in the city of Frederick, Hood is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Hood are $43,140 a year.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Hood College Report

$15,170 Average Tuition & Fees

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value visual and performing arts programs. Kutztown University is a medium-sized public school located in the fringe town of Kutztown.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Kutztown University are $15,170 a year. Visual & Performing Arts majors at Kutztown University take out an average of $27,320 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $294.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

$15,062 Average Tuition & Fees

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania 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. Edinboro is a small public school located in the town of Edinboro.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Edinboro are $15,062 a year. The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at Edinboro take out is $27,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $308.

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$7,798 Average Tuition & Fees

Mohawk Valley 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 #17 on the list. Located in the small city of Utica, MVCC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

MVCC undergraduate students pay an average of $7,798 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at MVCC accumulate an average of around $11,448 in student debt.

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$13,248 Average Tuition & Fees

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value visual and performing arts programs. Mansfield University is a small public school located in the distant town of Mansfield.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Mansfield University are $13,248 a year. While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at Mansfield University accumulate an average of around $29,000 in student debt.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Report

$8,090 Average Tuition & Fees

Queensborough 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. Located in the large city of Bayside, QCC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at QCC are $8,090 per year.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Queensborough Community College

#20

Lehman College

Bronx, NY
$15,360 Average Tuition & Fees

Lehman College 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. Lehman is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Bronx.

Lehman undergraduate students pay an average of $15,360 in tuition and fees each year. On average, visual and performing arts graduates from Lehman take out $14,618 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Lehman College

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great value schools for Visual & Performing Arts students in the Middle Atlantic Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region award.

Rank College Location
21 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
22 SUNY Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY
22 Towson University Towson, MD
24 Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus Indiana, PA
25 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
26 SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY
27 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ

Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best visual and performing arts schools for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic region.

State Degrees Awarded
New Jersey 2,574
Pennsylvania 5,464
New York 16,536
Maryland 2,055
Delaware 182
District of Columbia 586

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 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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