Best Art & Design Colleges in Oregon (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 10 Art & Design programs in Oregon by median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing. Oregon State University ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $57,311 for its graduates after completing.
Across the 7 schools with a reported completion median, earnings range from $57,311 to $21,508, with a median of $32,256. For 2 of the 10 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list splits evenly between 5 public and 5 private nonprofit institutions. Portland State University posts the lowest average net price at $9,552, and Lewis & Clark College reports the highest six-year completion rate at 75%.
Oregon State University ranks 126th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Art & Design Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR | $57,311 | $19,604 | $12,107 | 77.3% |
| Oregon State University reports median earnings of $57,311 for its Art & Design graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (104 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (26 graduates), Music (20 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($60,434) | |||||
| 2 | George Fox University · Newberg, OR | $47,395 | $31,679 | $22,871 | 93.5% |
| George Fox University, a private nonprofit university in Newberg, ranks 2nd on this page with a six-year completion rate of 72%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (27 graduates), Film/Video and Photographic Arts (16 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (11 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Film/Video and Photographic Arts ($50,003), Fine and Studio Arts ($42,759) | |||||
| 3 | University of Oregon · Eugene, OR | $47,131 | $22,182 | $15,909 | 88.3% |
| University of Oregon admits 88% of applicants and carries an average net price of $22,182. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (131 graduates), Film/Video and Photographic Arts (76 graduates), Music (54 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($65,573), Film/Video and Photographic Arts ($50,499), Fine and Studio Arts ($44,958) | |||||
| 4 | Portland State University · Portland, OR | $46,653 | $9,552 | $7,655 | 90.9% |
| Portland State University posts the lowest average net price on the page at $9,552, alongside median earnings of $46,653 for its Art & Design graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (107 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (70 graduates), Film/Video and Photographic Arts (68 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($56,158), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft ($45,692), Film/Video and Photographic Arts ($41,639) | |||||
| 5 | Southern Oregon University · Ashland, OR | $33,631 | $16,732 | $11,830 | 88.6% |
| Southern Oregon University ranks 957th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and graduates 43% of its students within six years. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (47 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (15 graduates), Music (9 graduates) | |||||
| 6 | Lewis & Clark College · Portland, OR | $32,722 | $36,013 | $15,962 | 78.5% |
| Lewis & Clark College reports an average net price of $15,962 for families earning under $30,000 and graduates 75% within six years. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (20 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (16 graduates) | |||||
| 7 | Willamette University · Salem, OR | $32,256 | $25,121 | $16,182 | 77.1% |
| Willamette University reports median earnings of $32,256 for its Art & Design graduates four years after completing, a figure that sits at the list median of $32,256. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (16 graduates) | |||||
| 8 | Western Oregon University · Monmouth, OR | $30,664 | $17,237 | $15,575 | 98.1% |
| Western Oregon University admits 98% of applicants, the most open admission rate on the page, and reports an average net price of $17,237. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (27 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (16 graduates), Music (7 graduates) | |||||
| 9 | Reed College · Portland, OR | $28,598 | $33,013 | $12,674 | 24.6% |
| Reed College is the most selective school on the list, admitting 25% of applicants, and reports median earnings of $28,598 for its Art & Design graduates two years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (17 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (5 graduates) | |||||
| 10 | Linfield University · Mcminnville, OR | $21,508 | $26,536 | $20,059 | 85.2% |
| Linfield University reports median earnings of $21,508 for its Art & Design graduates two years after completing, and posts a six-year completion rate of 70%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (5 graduates) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Art & Design graduates four years after completing, or two years for programs that report only a two-year figure, highest first. The median reflects federally aided Art & Design completers who were working and not enrolled, measured after completing. For 2 of the 10 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The figures cited on this page cover the 7 schools with a reported completion median. Oregon State University reports $57,311, which is $9,916 above the $47,395 posted by George Fox University.