2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Pennsylvania
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts School for You
In 2020-2021, visual and performing arts students earned 5,464 degrees and certificates from a Pennsylvania school, making the subject the 9th in the state.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Pennsylvania to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 33 schools in Pennsylvania to see which programs offered the best value experiences for visual and performing arts students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools
Our analysis found West Chester University of Pennsylvania to be the best value school for visual and performing arts students who want to pursue a degree in Pennsylvania. WCUPA is a large public school located in the large suburb of West Chester.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WCUPA are $10,423 per year.
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The excellent programs at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best visual and performing arts schools in Pennsylvania. Located in the town of Slippery Rock, SRU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SRU are $10,507 per year. The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at SRU take out is $29,000.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lehigh Carbon Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Pennsylvania list. LCCC is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Schnecksville.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at LCCC are $8,430 a year.
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Out of the 33 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Harrisburg Area Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Harrisburg, HACC is a public school with a large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at HACC are $8,295 per year. While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at HACC accumulate an average of around $18,008 in student debt.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Pennsylvania list. Bloomsburg is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Bloomsburg.
Bloomsburg undergraduate students pay an average of $10,982 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at Bloomsburg take out is $26,898.
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Messiah University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value visual and performing arts programs. Located in the suburb of Mechanicsburg, Messiah is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Messiah undergraduate students pay an average of $38,370 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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Millersville University of Pennsylvania ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the large suburb of Millersville, Millersville is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Millersville undergraduate students pay an average of $12,256 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, visual and performing arts graduates from Millersville take out $27,750 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #8, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best value schools for visual and performing arts students. Located in the town of Edinboro, Edinboro is a public school with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Edinboro are $10,543 per year. Visual & Performing Arts majors at Edinboro take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $308, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Kutztown University of Pennsylvania landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value visual and performing arts programs. Located in the town of Kutztown, Kutztown University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Kutztown University undergraduate students pay an average of $11,062 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from Kutztown University carry an average student debtload of $27,320. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $294, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Report
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With a ranking of #10, Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus did quite well on this year’s best value schools for visual and performing arts students. Located in the distant town of Indiana, IUP is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at IUP are $13,144 per year. The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at IUP take out is $27,333.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus Report
Request InformationBest Value Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
Explore all the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | 2,574 |
| New York | 16,536 |
| Maryland | 2,055 |
| Delaware | 182 |
| District of Columbia | 586 |
More Visual & Performing Arts Rankings in Pennsylvania
Visual & Performing Arts Related Majors for 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.