Best Visual and Performing Arts Programs in the South (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Art & Design Colleges in the South
Regional list from Top Visual and Performing Arts Programs in the United States
This page lists the 28 Visual and Performing Arts programs in the South with a reported earnings cohort, ordered by the median earnings of Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing. Texas A&M University-College Station ranks 1st with median earnings of $57,002 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the 25 schools with a published figure, median earnings range from $57,002 to $16,786, and the median stands at $38,289. For 5 of the 28 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 25 of the 28 programs, or 89% of the list. University of Florida reports the lowest average net price at $6,541.
The University of Texas at Austin ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
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 $57,002 in median earnings of Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing alongside a median federal debt of $21,327 among Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 2 | George Mason University · Fairfax, VA | $54,703 | $17,915 | $11,942 | 87.5% |
| George Mason University ranks 2nd on this list and posts an admission rate of 87%. | |||||
| 3 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $53,829 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
| The University of Texas at Austin, a public university in Austin, ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 4 | University of South Florida · Tampa, FL | No published median | $9,812 | $4,122 | 43.2% |
| University of South Florida ranks 4th on this list and carries an average net price of $9,812. | |||||
| 5 | University of Central Florida · Orlando, FL | $52,922 | $10,411 | $5,816 | 40.1% |
| With a cohort of 403 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of Central Florida reports $52,922 in median earnings of Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of Florida · Gainesville, FL | $47,546 | $6,541 | $1,982 | 24.2% |
| University of Florida combines an admission rate of 24% with an average net price of $6,541. | |||||
| 7 | Clemson University · Clemson, SC | No published median | $22,253 | $13,607 | 38.3% |
| Clemson University ranks 7th on this list and carries a median federal debt of $22,250 among Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 8 | Longwood University · Farmville, VA | $44,066 | $19,066 | $11,896 | 90.2% |
| Longwood University reports $44,066 in median earnings of Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 90%. | |||||
| 9 | Christopher Newport University · Newport News, VA | $42,907 | $23,015 | $12,461 | 86.0% |
| Christopher Newport University ranks 9th on this list with an average net price of $12,461 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 10 | University of Mary Washington · Fredericksburg, VA | $41,509 | $20,667 | $10,304 | 79.8% |
| University of Mary Washington reports $41,509 in median earnings of Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing and a median federal debt of $20,250 among Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 11 | University of Kentucky · Lexington, KY | $40,538 | $18,851 | $12,182 | 92.9% |
| An admission rate of 93% and an average net price of $18,851 accompany University of Kentucky's rank of 11th on this list. | |||||
| 12 | University of North Carolina Asheville · Asheville, NC | $40,444 | $12,250 | $8,219 | 91.9% |
| From a cohort of 47 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of North Carolina Asheville reports $40,444 in median earnings of Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Mississippi State University · Mississippi State, MS | $38,939 | $17,595 | $14,332 | 77.6% |
| Mississippi State University reports median earnings of $38,939 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $17,595. | |||||
| 14 | University of Southern Mississippi · Hattiesburg, MS | $38,599 | $21,708 | $19,867 | 99.1% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of Southern Mississippi left with a median of $22,500 in federal loans, and the school admits 99% of applicants. | |||||
| 15 | Rice University · Houston, TX | $38,289 | $13,370 | $5,827 | 8.0% |
| A private nonprofit university in Houston, Rice University ranks 64th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts an admission rate of 8%. | |||||
| 16 | Rogers State University · Claremore, OK | $37,996 | $15,314 | $13,714 | Not reported |
| Rogers State University ranks 16th on this list, with an average net price of $13,714 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 17 | The University of Tennessee-Martin · Martin, TN | $37,930 | $10,701 | $7,151 | 88.2% |
| The University of Tennessee-Martin shows median federal debt of $19,401 among Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed, and its graduates four years after completing earned a median of $37,930. | |||||
| 18 | The University of Texas at Dallas · Richardson, TX | $37,825 | $18,267 | $12,814 | 65.1% |
| With 332 graduates in the earnings cohort, The University of Texas at Dallas reports median earnings of $37,825 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | University of Houston-Downtown · Houston, TX | $37,668 | $10,542 | $9,439 | 90.0% |
| University of Houston-Downtown admits 90% of applicants and carries an average net price of $10,542. | |||||
| 20 | Marshall University · Huntington, WV | $35,126 | $7,502 | $4,648 | 95.7% |
| Marshall University ranks 383rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing earned a median of $35,126. | |||||
| 21 | Stetson University · Deland, FL | $35,045 | $19,372 | $15,931 | 71.6% |
| Median federal debt among Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed at Stetson University is $27,000, and the school reports an average net price of $15,931 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 22 | Jackson State University · Jackson, MS | $33,213 | $23,836 | $22,869 | 93.2% |
| Jackson State University reports median earnings of $33,213 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, with 18 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 23 | Savannah State University · Savannah, GA | $33,175 | $8,172 | $6,739 | Not reported |
| Savannah State University shows median federal debt of $33,260 among Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed, alongside an average net price of $8,172. | |||||
| 24 | Kennesaw State University · Kennesaw, GA | $32,925 | $15,048 | $12,235 | 69.2% |
| Kennesaw State University ranks 24th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and admits 69% of applicants. | |||||
| 25 | Louisiana State University-Shreveport · Shreveport, LA | $27,669 | $7,022 | $5,680 | 50.6% |
| Louisiana State University-Shreveport reports median earnings of $27,669 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, with 23 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 26 | Virginia State University · Petersburg, VA | $21,964 | $15,840 | $13,220 | 88.6% |
| Admitting 89% of applicants, Virginia State University ranks 315th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 27 | Tusculum University · Greeneville, TN | $16,786 | $21,131 | $20,766 | 72.2% |
| A private nonprofit university in Greeneville, Tusculum University has an average net price of $21,131 and a median earnings figure of $16,786 four years after completing. | |||||
| 28 | Grambling State University · Grambling, LA | No published median | $19,809 | $18,666 | 44.9% |
| Grambling State University ranks 429th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $18,666 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
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 the South appear. The figure covers federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 5 of the 28 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 25 schools with a published figure. The gap between Texas A&M University-College Station and George Mason University is $2,299, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $40,216.
Related rankings
- Best Colleges in the South
- Art & Design Colleges in the South for Social Mobility
- Best Art & Design Colleges in the South