2026 Best Colleges With Fine Arts Degrees Niche
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) 2024 Winter deFINEart Opening Reception Art & Object is proud to share our latest iteration of the top 15 undergraduate art schools in the United States, to help student artists find their best educational match. Our 2026 ranking includes many familiar schools throughout the country, from SCAD and Mass Art, to Yale and SAIC. We’ve used the same criteria as in our previous lists to reach our conclusions, weighing tuition costs, ranges of majors, endowments, post-graduation employment rates, diversity and inclusion levels, student-faculty ratios, and standards of living... We’ve also considered social and environmental aspects, such as a school’s reputation, its surrounding art community, and affiliated museums. Student bodies range from just over 40,000 students to slightly over 800, in locations as diverse as Savannah, Boston, New Haven, and Chicago.
Each institution, no matter its size, prioritizes artistic growth and is committed to facilitating each student’s development as an artist. Most of them also have culturally diverse student populations. Possible majors range from the more traditional to the cutting edge, including art history, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, dance, 3D animation, kinetic imaging, and fashion design. We believe rankings like this one can help students sift more skillfully through their options, making them better prepared to face the often overwhelming and expensive application and admission process. With that, we are thrilled to announce our list of the 15 Best Art Schools in the United States. By: Jamie Rager | Published: October 8, 2025 | 11:18 am | SHARE:
Florida State University’s College of Fine Arts programs are continuing to rank among the best in the nation, according to Niche’s 2026 Top Public Universities in America rankings. “These recent rankings affirm the strength of our faculty and students in shaping a vibrant arts community at FSU,” said James Frazier, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “We remain dedicated to pursuing excellence in the arts, and preparing our students to become tomorrow’s leading performers, artists, educators and scholars.” Drawing on data from the U.S. Department of Education, Niche — a platform known for producing in-depth profiles of every U.S. school and college, supported by more than 140 million reviews and ratings from students and alumni — evaluates institutions annually based on areas such as academics, admissions, finances and student life.
In the 2026 report, the college’s programs stood out in several key areas, including: Colleges that offer most or all of their degrees in fine arts or performing arts are listed here as specialty schools. Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S. News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. Looking for colleges with a Fine Arts Major?
See a list of colleges with Fine Arts here to evaluate admissions data, tuition, rankings and more. To unlock full rankings, expanded profiles and more, sign up for the U.S. News College Compass! Every student pursuing a degree in fine arts needs to check out University of Southern California. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were about 22 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. It's difficult to beat Cornell University if you want to pursue a degree in fine arts. Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall. There were roughly 33 fine arts students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available. New York University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in fine arts.
NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.
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Savannah College Of Art And Design (SCAD) 2024 Winter DeFINEart
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) 2024 Winter deFINEart Opening Reception Art & Object is proud to share our latest iteration of the top 15 undergraduate art schools in the United States, to help student artists find their best educational match. Our 2026 ranking includes many familiar schools throughout the country, from SCAD and Mass Art, to Yale and SAIC. We’ve used the same criteria as...
Each Institution, No Matter Its Size, Prioritizes Artistic Growth And
Each institution, no matter its size, prioritizes artistic growth and is committed to facilitating each student’s development as an artist. Most of them also have culturally diverse student populations. Possible majors range from the more traditional to the cutting edge, including art history, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, dance, 3D animation, kinetic imaging, and fashion design. We b...
Florida State University’s College Of Fine Arts Programs Are Continuing
Florida State University’s College of Fine Arts programs are continuing to rank among the best in the nation, according to Niche’s 2026 Top Public Universities in America rankings. “These recent rankings affirm the strength of our faculty and students in shaping a vibrant arts community at FSU,” said James Frazier, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “We remain dedicated to pursuing excellence in th...
In The 2026 Report, The College’s Programs Stood Out In
In the 2026 report, the college’s programs stood out in several key areas, including: Colleges that offer most or all of their degrees in fine arts or performing arts are listed here as specialty schools. Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S. News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. Looki...
See A List Of Colleges With Fine Arts Here To
See a list of colleges with Fine Arts here to evaluate admissions data, tuition, rankings and more. To unlock full rankings, expanded profiles and more, sign up for the U.S. News College Compass! Every student pursuing a degree in fine arts needs to check out University of Southern California. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student ...