Best Visual and Performing Arts Programs in the West (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Art & Design Colleges in the West
Regional list from Top Visual and Performing Arts Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 13 Visual and Performing Arts programs in the West by median earnings of Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, highest first. Portland State University ranks 1st on this list, and across the 11 schools with a published figure, median earnings range from $48,589 to $22,455, with a median of $37,628.
For 4 of the 13 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 8 of the 13 programs, or 62%. University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest showing on the page.
New Mexico State University-Main Campus posts the lowest average net price, at $8,889.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland State University · Portland, OR | No published median | $9,552 | $7,655 | 90.9% |
| Portland State University ranks 1st on this list, and its 135th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions coincides with an admission rate of 91%. | |||||
| 2 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $48,589 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion reports median earnings of $48,589 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, and the program's completers who borrowed left with a median of $21,480 in federal loans. | |||||
| 3 | California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA | $48,043 | $10,229 | $6,230 | 95.1% |
| An average net price of $6,230 for families earning under $30,000 and a 95% admission rate sit alongside California State University-San Marcos's 59th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 4 | Otis College of Art and Design · Los Angeles, CA | $47,220 | $51,248 | $44,731 | 81.8% |
| Otis College of Art and Design, a private nonprofit institution in Los Angeles, posts median earnings of $47,220 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $51,248. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $45,915 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| University of California-San Diego admits 27% of applicants and ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, while its Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed carry a median of $15,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 6 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus · Albuquerque, NM | $44,091 | $15,489 | $11,938 | 95.2% |
| An admission rate of 95% and an average net price of $15,489 coincide at University of New Mexico-Main Campus, where Visual and Performing Arts graduates earn a median of $44,091 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs · Colorado Springs, CO | $37,628 | $15,788 | $12,065 | 97.4% |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs ranks 7th on this list, with median earnings of $37,628 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $36,674 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| With an admission rate of 10%, University of Southern California is the most selective school on the page, and its Visual and Performing Arts graduates earn a median of $36,674 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus · Las Cruces, NM | $27,875 | $8,889 | $6,648 | 89.0% |
| New Mexico State University-Main Campus posts the lowest average net price on the list at $8,889, and its Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed left with a median of $28,500 in federal loans. | |||||
| 10 | University of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA | $27,823 | $41,431 | $31,537 | 61.7% |
| University of San Francisco, a private nonprofit university in San Francisco, reports median earnings of $27,823 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $41,431. | |||||
| 11 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | No published median | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
| Brigham Young University ranks 27th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its admission rate of 68% coincides with an average net price of $15,564. | |||||
| 12 | California State University-Channel Islands · Camarillo, CA | $25,194 | $9,849 | $6,857 | 94.8% |
| California State University-Channel Islands reports median earnings of $25,194 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 95% and an average net price of $9,849. | |||||
| 13 | Azusa Pacific University · Azusa, CA | $22,455 | $22,212 | $15,781 | 88.4% |
| Azusa Pacific University, a private nonprofit university in Azusa, reports median earnings of $22,455 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, with 38 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
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 West appear. The figure is the median earnings of federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 4 of the 13 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 11 schools with a published figure. The spread from Portland State University to Arizona State University Campus Immersion is $26,134.