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# Top Visual and Performing Arts Programs in the United States

Updated September 30, 2026

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

This page ranks 72 Visual and Performing Arts programs in the United States by median earnings of Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, highest first. Champlain College leads the list with median earnings of $57,883 four years after completing.

Across the 59 programs with a published figure, earnings range from $57,883 to $16,786, with a median of $39,403. For 12 of the 72 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

Public institutions account for 72% of the list, or 52 of the 72 programs, alongside 20 private nonprofits. University of Florida posts the lowest average net price at $6,541.

University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

Top 25 of 72 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Champlain College · Burlington, VT | $57,883 | $35,860 | $28,885 | 82.9% |
|  | Champlain College reports median earnings of $57,883 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. |
| 2 | 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/) ranks 2nd on this list and carries a [median federal debt of $21,327](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/cost/) among Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed. |
| 3 | George Mason University · Fairfax, VA | $54,703 | $17,915 | $11,942 | 87.5% |
|  | [George Mason University](/school/george-mason-university/majors/) [admits 87% of applicants](/school/george-mason-university/admissions/) and posts median earnings of $54,703 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing. |
| 4 | 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/) [ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $19,857. |
| 5 | University of South Florida · Tampa, FL | No published median | $9,812 | $4,122 | 43.2% |
|  | [University of South Florida](/school/university-of-south-florida/majors/) ranks 5th on this list, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $17,988](/school/university-of-south-florida/outcomes/) in federal loans. |
| 6 | University of Central Florida · Orlando, FL | $52,922 | $10,411 | $5,816 | 40.1% |
|  | A cohort of 403 graduates in the earnings cohort underpins the [median earnings of $52,922](/school/university-of-central-florida/outcomes/) that [University of Central Florida](/school/university-of-central-florida/majors/) reports for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing. |
| 7 | Portland State University · Portland, OR | No published median | $9,552 | $7,655 | 90.9% |
|  | [Portland State University](/school/portland-state-university/majors/) ranks 7th on this list and carries an [average net price of $7,655](/school/portland-state-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000. |
| 8 | University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO | $50,205 | $20,268 | $13,841 | 78.5% |
|  | [University of Missouri-Columbia](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/majors/) [admits 78% of applicants](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/admissions/) and carries a median federal debt of $20,250 among Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed. |
| 9 | Lesley University · Cambridge, MA | $49,175 | $31,152 | $24,799 | 96.9% |
|  | Lesley University reports median earnings of $49,175 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $31,152. |
| 10 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $48,589 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
|  | [Arizona State University Campus Immersion](/school/arizona-state-university-campus-immersion/majors/) [ranks 21st on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/arizona-state-university-campus-immersion/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $9,070 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 11 | California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA | $48,043 | $10,229 | $6,230 | 95.1% |
|  | [California State University-San Marcos](/school/california-state-university-san-marcos/majors/) [admits 95% of applicants](/school/california-state-university-san-marcos/admissions/) and posts median earnings of $48,043 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing. |
| 12 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater · Whitewater, WI | $47,819 | $14,158 | $8,440 | 85.7% |
|  | [University of Wisconsin-Whitewater](/school/university-of-wisconsin-whitewater/majors/) carries a [median federal debt of $22,398](/school/university-of-wisconsin-whitewater/cost/) among Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed and reports an average net price of $14,158. |
| 13 | University of Florida · Gainesville, FL | $47,546 | $6,541 | $1,982 | 24.2% |
|  | With an [average net price of $6,541,](/school/university-of-florida/cost/) [University of Florida](/school/university-of-florida/majors/) reports $47,546 in median earnings for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing. |
| 14 | SUNY Oneonta · Oneonta, NY | $47,321 | $19,158 | $11,044 | 69.6% |
|  | Admitting 70% of applicants, [SUNY Oneonta](/school/suny-oneonta/majors/) shows a [median of $19,891](/school/suny-oneonta/outcomes/) in federal debt among Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed. |
| 15 | Otis College of Art and Design · Los Angeles, CA | $47,220 | $51,248 | $44,731 | 81.8% |
|  | A private nonprofit institution in Los Angeles, Otis College of Art and Design ranks 15th on this list with median earnings of $47,220 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing. |
| 16 | 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/) posts an [average net price of $18,396](/school/bowling-green-state-university-main-campus/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and a median of $26,869 in federal debt among Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed. |
| 17 | Columbia University in the City of New York · New York, NY | No published median | $21,590 | $4,570 | 4.0% |
|  | [Columbia University in the City of New York](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/majors/) [ranks 55th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and admits 4% of applicants. |
| 18 | New York University · New York, NY | No published median | $37,050 | $16,977 | 9.2% |
|  | [New York University](/school/new-york-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $37,050](/school/new-york-university/cost/) and a median of $23,250 in federal debt among Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed. |
| 19 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $45,915 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
|  | [University of California-San Diego](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/majors/) [ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $45,915 for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing. |
| 20 | Clemson University · Clemson, SC | No published median | $22,253 | $13,607 | 38.3% |
|  | [Clemson University](/school/clemson-university/majors/) [admits 38% of applicants](/school/clemson-university/admissions/) and carries an average net price of $13,607 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 21 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $45,170 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
|  | [Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus](/school/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/majors/) reports [median earnings of $45,170](/school/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 9 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 22 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus · Albuquerque, NM | $44,091 | $15,489 | $11,938 | 95.2% |
|  | [University of New Mexico-Main Campus](/school/university-of-new-mexico-main-campus/majors/) [admits 95% of applicants](/school/university-of-new-mexico-main-campus/admissions/) and its Visual and Performing Arts completers who borrowed left with a median of $15,000 in federal loans. |
| 23 | Longwood University · Farmville, VA | $44,066 | $19,066 | $11,896 | 90.2% |
|  | Longwood University ranks 23rd on this list and reports an average net price of $11,896 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 24 | Millikin University · Decatur, IL | No published median | $21,989 | $18,659 | 66.7% |
|  | Millikin University ranks 1120th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and admits 67% of applicants. |
| 25 | Ramapo College of New Jersey · Mahwah, NJ | $43,063 | $18,173 | $9,008 | 70.6% |
|  | [Ramapo College of New Jersey](/school/ramapo-college-of-new-jersey/majors/) reports [median earnings of $43,063](/school/ramapo-college-of-new-jersey/outcomes/) for its Visual and Performing Arts graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $18,173. |

Continue by region[Best Visual and Performing Arts Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-visual-and-performing-arts-programs-in-the-midwest/)[Best Visual and Performing Arts Programs in the Northeast](/rankings/best-visual-and-performing-arts-programs-in-the-northeast/)[Best Visual and Performing Arts Programs in the South](/rankings/best-visual-and-performing-arts-programs-in-the-south/)[Best Visual and Performing Arts Programs in the West](/rankings/best-visual-and-performing-arts-programs-in-the-west/)

## 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 United States appear. The figure covers federally aided completers of the Visual and Performing Arts program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 12 of the 72 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 59 schools with a published figure. The gap between Champlain College and Texas A&M University-College Station is $881.

## Related rankings

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