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Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts

2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

29 Colleges
$38,419 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$28,005 Avg Salary

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

$5,378 Average Tuition & Fees

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 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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Out of the 29 schools in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, Springfield Technical Community College landed the # 2 spot on the list. STCC is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at STCC are $5,520 a year.

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#3

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, MA
$10,732 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bridgewater State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the large suburb of Bridgewater, Bridgewater State is a public school with a medium-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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$11,675 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Salem State University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Salem State is a moderately-sized public school located in the large 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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$14,200 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 29 schools in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts College of Art and Design landed the # 5 spot on the list. Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a small public school located in the large city of Boston.

Massachusetts College of Art and Design undergraduate students pay an average of $14,200 in in-state tuition and fees each 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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$16,439 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the suburb of Amherst, UMass Amherst is a public college with a very large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMass Amherst are $16,439 per 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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#7

Gordon College

Wenham, MA
$26,250 Average Tuition & Fees

Gordon College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Gordon College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wenham.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Gordon College are $26,250 a year.

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$15,698 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Massachusetts - Lowell did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for visual and performing arts students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the suburb of Lowell, UMass Lowell is a public college with a fairly large student population.

UMass Lowell undergraduate students pay an average of $15,698 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at UMass Lowell accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at University of Massachusetts - Lowell Report

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#9

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA
$56,540 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, College of the Holy Cross did quite well on this year’s best value schools for visual and performing arts students. 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.

Holy Cross also made our Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list, coming in at #5.

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$14,408 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of North Dartmouth, UMass Dartmouth is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UMass Dartmouth are $14,408 a 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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Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the New England Region

Explore all the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Colleges 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

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 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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