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# Best Visual and Performing Arts Programs in Texas (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Art & Design Colleges in Texas](/rankings/best-art-and-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](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/) leads the list at $57,002, followed by [The University of Texas at Austin](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) 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

5 schools in list order

| 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](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/) reports [median earnings of $57,002](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/outcomes/) 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) [admits 27% of applicants](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/admissions/) 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](/school/rice-university/majors/) has an [average net price of $13,370](/school/rice-university/cost/) 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-dallas/majors/) ranks 4th on this list, with 332 graduates in the earnings cohort and a [median of $37,825](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-dallas/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-houston-downtown/outcomes/) in federal loans at [University of Houston-Downtown](/school/university-of-houston-downtown/majors/), 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.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Art & Design Colleges in Texas](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges-in-texas/)