2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts
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 5,195 degrees and certificates from a Massachusetts 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. 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 Massachusetts ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 29 schools in Massachusetts 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 Holyoke Community College to be the best value school for visual and performing arts students who want to pursue a degree in Massachusetts. Holyoke Community College is a small public school located in the large suburb of Holyoke.
Holyoke Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,378 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Springfield Technical Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. STCC is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at STCC are $5,520 per year.
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The excellent programs at Bridgewater State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best visual and performing arts schools in Massachusetts. Located in the large suburb of Bridgewater, Bridgewater State is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Bridgewater State are $10,732 a year. The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at Bridgewater State take out is $26,159.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Salem State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Salem State is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Salem.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Salem State are $11,675 a year. Visual & Performing Arts majors at Salem State take out an average of $26,936 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts College of Art and Design. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a small public school located in the city of Boston.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Massachusetts College of Art and Design are $14,200 a year. On average, visual and performing arts graduates from Massachusetts College of Art and Design take out $24,313 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $322, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the large suburb of Amherst, UMass Amherst is a public school with a very large student population.
UMass Amherst undergraduate students pay an average of $16,439 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at UMass Amherst accumulate an average of around $26,981 in student debt.
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Gordon College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value visual and performing arts programs. Gordon College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Wenham.
Gordon College undergraduate students pay an average of $26,250 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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With a ranking of #8, University of Massachusetts - Lowell did quite well on this year’s best value schools for visual and performing arts students. Located in the suburb of Lowell, UMass Lowell is a public college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMass Lowell are $15,698 per year. While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at UMass Lowell accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
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College of the Holy Cross landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value visual and performing arts programs. Holy Cross is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Worcester.
Holy Cross undergraduate students pay an average of $56,540 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Holy Cross is ranked #5 for overall quality for visual and performing arts in Massachusetts.
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University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the midsize suburb of North Dartmouth, UMass Dartmouth is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMass Dartmouth are $14,408 per year. After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from UMass Dartmouth carry an average student debtload of $27,344.
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Request InformationBest Value Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the New England Region
Explore all the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 931 |
| Maine | 274 |
| Rhode Island | 709 |
| Connecticut | 1,531 |
| Vermont | 550 |
More Visual & Performing Arts Rankings in Massachusetts
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.
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