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Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts

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2023 Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts

75 Colleges
$28,005 Avg Salary
$25,938 Avg Student Debt

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.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Our analysis looked at 75 schools in Massachusetts to see which 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 .

Our 2023 rankings named Berklee College of Music the most popular school in Massachusetts for visual and performing arts students. Located in the city of Boston, Berklee College of Music is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

On average, visual and performing arts graduates from Berklee College of Music take out $27,707 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $1,179.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Berklee College of Music

#2

Emerson College

Boston, MA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Emerson College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Emerson is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Boston.

On average, visual and performing arts graduates from Emerson take out $25,500 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $1,019.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Emerson College

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Massachusetts College of Art and Design. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a small public school located in the large city of Boston.

While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at Massachusetts College of Art and Design accumulate an average of around $24,313 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $322, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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

#4

Boston University

Boston, MA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Boston University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from Boston U carry an average student debt load of $26,587.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Boston University Report

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means The New England Conservatory of Music is a great place for visual and performing arts students. The New England Conservatory of Music is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Boston.

On average, visual and performing arts graduates from The New England Conservatory of Music take out $26,968 in student loans while working on their degree.

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

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

On average, visual and performing arts graduates from UMass Amherst take out $26,981 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Massachusetts Amherst

#7

Lesley University

Cambridge, MA

Lesley University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Located in the city of Cambridge, Lesley is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at Lesley take out is $25,922. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $378.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Lesley University Report

Northeastern University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Northeastern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Boston.

After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from Northeastern carry an average student debt load of $25,509.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Northeastern University Report

#9

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

With a ranking of #9, Harvard University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for visual and performing arts students. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Read More…

#10

Tufts University

Medford, MA

Tufts University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular visual and performing arts programs. Tufts is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Medford.

While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at Tufts accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $704, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Tufts University Report

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for visual and performing arts students. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of North Dartmouth, UMass Dartmouth is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from UMass Dartmouth carry an average student debt load of $27,344.

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

Additional Noteworthy Schools

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 Schools in Massachusetts award.

Rank College Location
12 University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA
13 Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, MA
14 Longy School of Music of Bard College Cambridge, MA
15 Brandeis University Waltham, MA

Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the New England Region

Explore all the Most Popular 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

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 26 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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