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# Best Visual and Performing Arts Programs in the Midwest

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Art & Design Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges-in-the-midwest/)

Regional list from [Top Visual and Performing Arts Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-visual-and-performing-arts-programs/)

This page ranks the 12 Visual and Performing Arts programs in the Midwest by median earnings of Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing. [University of Missouri-Columbia](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $50,205 for its graduates four years after completing.

Across the 8 schools with a published figure, earnings range from $50,205 to $21,052, with a median of $40,266. For 1 of the 12 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

Public institutions account for 8 of the 12 programs, and private nonprofits for 4. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor posts the lowest average net price, at $13,138.

## The ranked list

12 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO | $50,205 | $20,268 | $13,841 | 78.5% |
|  | [University of Missouri-Columbia](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/majors/) reports [median earnings of $50,205](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/outcomes/) for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, with 46 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater · Whitewater, WI | $47,819 | $14,158 | $8,440 | 85.7% |
|  | An [admission rate of 86%](/school/university-of-wisconsin-whitewater/admissions/) coincides with a median federal debt of $22,398 among Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed at [University of Wisconsin-Whitewater](/school/university-of-wisconsin-whitewater/majors/). |
| 3 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus · Bowling Green, OH | $46,944 | $24,022 | $18,396 | 81.0% |
|  | [Bowling Green State University-Main Campus](/school/bowling-green-state-university-main-campus/majors/) ranks 3rd on this list and posts an [average net price of $24,022](/school/bowling-green-state-university-main-campus/cost/). |
| 4 | Millikin University · Decatur, IL | No published median | $21,989 | $18,659 | 66.7% |
|  | A private nonprofit university in Decatur, Millikin University ranks 1120th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-Stout · Menomonie, WI | $41,129 | $17,490 | $10,966 | 87.7% |
|  | [University of Wisconsin-Stout](/school/university-of-wisconsin-stout/majors/) reports [median earnings of $41,129](/school/university-of-wisconsin-stout/outcomes/) for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $10,966 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 6 | Baldwin Wallace University · Berea, OH | No published median | $27,603 | $21,296 | 75.7% |
|  | [Baldwin Wallace University](/school/baldwin-wallace-university/majors/) has an [admission rate of 76%](/school/baldwin-wallace-university/admissions/) and an average net price of $27,603. |
| 7 | Iowa State University · Ames, IA | $39,403 | $18,589 | $10,582 | 88.7% |
|  | [Iowa State University](/school/iowa-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $39,403](/school/iowa-state-university/outcomes/) for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $22,869 in federal loans. |
| 8 | University of Chicago · Chicago, IL | No published median | $14,860 | \-$1,264\* | 4.5% |
|  | [University of Chicago](/school/university-of-chicago/majors/) [admits 4% of applicants](/school/university-of-chicago/admissions/) and ranks 38th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 9 | Wichita State University · Wichita, KS | $37,012 | $13,194 | $9,734 | 94.0% |
|  | [Wichita State University](/school/wichita-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $37,012](/school/wichita-state-university/outcomes/) for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, with 83 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 10 | Southeast Missouri State University · Cape Girardeau, MO | $33,293 | $15,882 | $12,704 | 73.5% |
|  | [Southeast Missouri State University](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/majors/) ranks 10th on this list and its Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed left with a [median of $23,320](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/outcomes/) in federal loans. |
| 11 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | No published median | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
|  | [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/majors/) has an [average net price of $1,043](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 12 | University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne · Fort Wayne, IN | $21,052 | $18,196 | $12,720 | 96.0% |
|  | Reporting median earnings of $21,052 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne admits 96% of applicants. |

\* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figure is the median for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 1 of the 12 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 and median below cover the 8 schools with a published figure. University of Missouri-Columbia leads at $50,205, and the gap to second-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is $2,386.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/)
-   [Best Art & Design Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges-in-the-midwest/)
-   Art & Design Colleges in the Midwest for Social Mobility