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Colleges by major · 2026
Art, design, music, theater, and film share one federal program family. Large shares usually mean a dedicated arts school or conservatory within the university — check audition, portfolio, and accreditation requirements.
Rankings use federal IPEDS program data and College Scorecard outcomes. Verify deadlines, prerequisites, and accreditation with each college before applying.
Colleges that award at least 5.0% of their degrees in visual & performing arts, ordered by median earnings 10 years after entry. The share column shows how large the field is at each school.
| # | College | Median earnings | Share of degrees | Acceptance rate | Avg. net price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA | $114,862 | 7.0% | 11.7% | $31,944 |
| 2 | GnomonNorth Hollywood, CA | $114,785 | 100.0% | 41.8% | $51,949 |
| 3 | Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NY | $102,491 | 5.1% | 4.0% | $21,590 |
| 4 | Northeastern University OaklandOakland, CA | $92,538 | 35.7% | 16.7% | $25,181 |
| 5 | University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA | $92,498 | 10.8% | 9.8% | $32,740 |
| 6 | Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL | $89,363 | 7.7% | 7.7% | $29,167 |
| 7 | Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA | $88,665 | 9.4% | 8.3% | $17,716 |
| 8 | Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD | $87,555 | 6.3% | 6.4% | $18,809 |
| 9 | Fordham UniversityBronx, NY | $85,569 | 7.0% | 59.3% | $44,338 |
| 10 | Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA | $84,648 | 10.7% | 79.4% | $38,509 |
| 11 | The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtNew York, NY | $83,847 | 29.7% | 20.7% | $13,269 |
| 12 | University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI | $83,648 | 5.2% | 15.6% | $13,138 |
| 13 | Tufts UniversityMedford, MA | $83,214 | 8.7% | 11.5% | $39,998 |
| 14 | Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, CA | $82,939 | 5.6% | 62.9% | $58,098 |
| 15 | Wentworth Institute of TechnologyBoston, MA | $82,721 | 6.3% | 91.2% | $34,170 |
Median earnings are reported for the whole institution (all graduates), not for visual & performing arts majors specifically. A school that is strong in other fields can therefore rank above one with a better visual & performing arts program. Treat this as a shortlist, not a verdict.
Schools where visual & performing arts makes up the biggest share of all degrees awarded. A larger share means more sections, more faculty, and more course choice — it does not guarantee a better program.
Admission rates, test scores, cost, and full program mix for the schools with the largest visual & performing arts programs.
How this list is built and how to use it
This page ranks colleges where visual & performing arts is at least 5.0% of all degrees awarded, ordered by median earnings 10 years after entry. Carnegie Mellon University tops the current list at $114,862. Earnings are institutional averages, not program-specific salaries — use the list to shortlist schools, then compare curriculum and cost.
We use federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data. A college qualifies when visual & performing arts makes up at least 5.0% of the degrees it awards. Qualifying colleges are ordered by median earnings 10 years after entry, with graduation rate as the tie-breaker. Median earnings cover all graduates of the institution, not just visual & performing arts majors.
463 colleges in the current catalog award at least 5.0% of their degrees in visual & performing arts. The table shows the top 15 by earnings; every school links to its profile page.
No. Program size measures how many degrees a school awards in the field, not quality. A smaller department can offer more research access or smaller classes. Check accreditation for your specific track, required coursework, and where recent graduates went.
Use the free college search to enter your GPA (SAT optional) along with your intended major, budget, and location. It sorts schools into Reach, Target, and Safety matches from the same federal dataset used on this page.
Enter your GPA, intended major, and budget to get Reach, Target, and Safety matches from the same federal dataset.