Best Visual and Performing Arts Programs in Texas (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Art & Design Colleges in Texas
This page ranks the 5 Visual and Performing Arts programs in Texas by median earnings of Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing. Texas A&M University-College Station leads the list at $57,002, followed by The University of Texas at Austin at $53,829.
Across the listed programs, reported medians range from $57,002 to $37,668, with a median of $38,289. For 1 of the 5 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 4 of the 5 programs, with 1 private nonprofit school also appearing. The University of Texas at Austin ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
University of Houston-Downtown posts the lowest average net price on the page, at $10,542.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $57,002 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station reports median earnings of $57,002 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
| 2 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $53,829 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
| The University of Texas at Austin admits 27% of applicants and its Visual and Performing Arts graduates earn a median of $53,829 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Rice University · Houston, TX | $38,289 | $13,370 | $5,827 | 8.0% |
| A private nonprofit university in Houston, Rice University has an average net price of $13,370 and an admission rate of 8%. | |||||
| 4 | The University of Texas at Dallas · Richardson, TX | $37,825 | $18,267 | $12,814 | 65.1% |
| The University of Texas at Dallas ranks 4th on this list, with 332 graduates in the earnings cohort and a median of $37,825 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of Houston-Downtown · Houston, TX | $37,668 | $10,542 | $9,439 | 90.0% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $18,750 in federal loans at University of Houston-Downtown, which reports median earnings of $37,668 for its Visual and Performing Arts completers four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Digital Arts graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in Texas appear. The figures cover federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 1 of the 5 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 range from $57,002 to $37,668 spans $19,334, and the gap between Texas A&M University-College Station and The University of Texas at Austin is $3,173.