Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools

Find Schools Near

2023 Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools

505 Colleges
$32,741 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 505 schools in the United States to see which master's degree programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Visual & Performing Arts program at each school on the list.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for visual and performing arts majors pursuing a master's degree.

#1

New York University

New York, NY

Our 2023 rankings named New York University the most popular school in the United States for visual and performing arts students working on their master’s degree. NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.

Of the 492 students majoring in visual and performing arts at NYU, 33% are male and 67% are female.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at New York University Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Savannah College of Art and Design. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. SCAD is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Savannah.

Of the 476 students majoring in visual and performing arts at SCAD, 36% are male and 64% are female.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Savannah College of Art and Design

#3

Full Sail University

Winter Park, FL

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Full Sail University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of Winter Park, Full Sail University is a private for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Of the 343 students majoring in visual and performing arts at Full Sail University, 56% are male and 44% are female.

Read More…

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Southern California is a great place for visual and performing arts students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

About 52% of the students majoring in visual and performing arts at the school are women while 48% are male.

Read More…

#5

Pratt Institute - Main

Brooklyn, NY

Out of the 505 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Pratt Institute - Main landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of Brooklyn, Pratt Institute is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

About 78% of the students majoring in visual and performing arts at the school are women while 22% are male.

Read More…

#6

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA

Academy of Art University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large city of San Francisco, Academy of Art University is a private for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

Women make up 66% of the visual and performing arts majors at the school.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Academy of Art University

Maryland Institute College of Art did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for visual and performing arts students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the large city of Baltimore, MICA is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Women make up 67% of the visual and performing arts majors at the school.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Maryland Institute College of Art

#8

The New School

New York, NY

The New School came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. New School University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.

Of the 221 students majoring in visual and performing arts at New School University, 29% are male and 71% are female.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at The New School Report

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Of the 211 students majoring in visual and performing arts at IU Bloomington, 44% are male and 56% are female.

Read More…

#10

Yale University

New Haven, CT

Yale University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for visual and performing arts students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New Haven.

Women make up 53% of the visual and performing arts majors at the school.

Read More…

#11

New York Film Academy

Burbank, CA

With a ranking of #11, New York Film Academy did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for visual and performing arts students working on their master’s degree. New York Film Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Burbank.

About 50% of the students majoring in visual and performing arts at the school are women while 50% are male.

Read More…

With a ranking of #12, Berklee College of Music did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for visual and performing arts students working on their master’s degree. Berklee College of Music is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Boston.

About 53% of the students majoring in visual and performing arts at the school are women while 47% are male.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Berklee College of Music Report

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree visual and performing arts programs. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

Of the 184 students majoring in visual and performing arts at Columbia, 32% are male and 68% are female.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Columbia University in the City of New York

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the large city of Cincinnati, UC is a public college with a very large student population.

About 52% of the students majoring in visual and performing arts at the school are women while 48% are male.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #15 on this year’s Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. UCLA is a very large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

Of the 173 students majoring in visual and performing arts at UCLA, 43% are male and 57% are female.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of California - Los Angeles

School of the Art Institute of Chicago landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree visual and performing arts programs. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

Of the 164 students majoring in visual and performing arts at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 30% are male and 70% are female.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at School of the Art Institute of Chicago

#17

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA

Carnegie Mellon University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Of the 155 students majoring in visual and performing arts at Carnegie Mellon, 35% are male and 65% are female.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Carnegie Mellon University

#18

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Northwestern University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Evanston.

Of the 154 students majoring in visual and performing arts at Northwestern, 36% are male and 64% are female.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Northwestern University

#19

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL

Florida State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for visual and performing arts students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #19 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Of the 152 students majoring in visual and performing arts at Florida State, 44% are male and 56% are female.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Florida State University Report

#20

School of Visual Arts

New York, NY

School of Visual Arts came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the large city of New York, SVA is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Of the 145 students majoring in visual and performing arts at SVA, 30% are male and 70% are female.

Read More…

#21

Manhattan School of Music

New York, NY

Manhattan School of Music came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the large city of New York, Manhattan School of Music is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Of the 132 students majoring in visual and performing arts at Manhattan School of Music, 39% are male and 61% are female.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Manhattan School of Music

With a ranking of #22, The New England Conservatory of Music did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for visual and performing arts students working on their master’s degree. Located in the large city of Boston, The New England Conservatory of Music is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Women make up 49% of the visual and performing arts majors at the school.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at The New England Conservatory of Music

#23

Temple University

Philadelphia, PA

With a ranking of #23, Temple University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for visual and performing arts students working on their master’s degree. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Temple is a public school with a fairly large student population.

About 60% of the students majoring in visual and performing arts at the school are women while 40% are male.

Read More…

California Institute of the Arts landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree visual and performing arts programs. Located in the large suburb of Valencia, CalArts is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Of the 120 students majoring in visual and performing arts at CalArts, 44% are male and 56% are female.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at California Institute of the Arts

#25

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA

Liberty University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for visual and performing arts students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #25 on the list. Located in the small city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

Of the 119 students majoring in visual and performing arts at Liberty University, 33% are male and 67% are female.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Liberty University

#26

Boston University

Boston, MA
#28

DePaul University

Chicago, IL
#29

The Juilliard School

New York, NY
#34

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD
#36

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, NY
#36

Chapman University

Orange, CA
#38

Hunter College

New York, NY
#39

University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL
#40

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI
#43

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY
#45

Regent University

Virginia Beach, VA
#46

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA
#48

American University

Washington, DC
#50

Roosevelt University

Chicago, IL

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 505 different United States visual and performing arts schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 University of Hartford West Hartford, CT
52 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
53 American Film Institute Conservatory Los Angeles, CA
53 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
55 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
56 Harvard University Cambridge, MA
57 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
58 Sotheby’s Institute of Art - NY New York, NY
58 University of Houston Houston, TX
60 Longy School of Music of Bard College Cambridge, MA
60 Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA
62 San Francisco Conservatory of Music San Francisco, CA
63 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
64 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
64 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
66 California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA
67 Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL
67 Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
67 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
70 Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA
70 Bard College Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
72 Cranbrook Academy of Art Bloomfield Hills, MI
72 University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston-Salem, NC
72 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
75 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
75 George Washington University Washington, DC

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
77 Rice University Houston, TX
78 Illinois State University Normal, IL
78 University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO
78 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
81 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
82 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
82 University of Denver Denver, CO
84 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
84 Southern Utah University Cedar City, UT
84 Queens College Queens, NY
84 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
88 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
88 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
90 Fashion Institute of Technology New York, NY
90 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
90 New York School of Interior Design New York, NY
93 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
93 The City College of New York New York, NY
95 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
95 New York Academy of Art New York, NY
95 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
95 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
95 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
100 Atlantic University College Guaynabo, PR
100 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA

Visual & Performing Arts by Region

View the Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.