DEEPCOLLEGES · OPS · v3.3 SCHOOLS·INDEXED 120 SOURCES IPEDS · CDS · SCORECARD LAST·SYNC 2026.04.29
MAJOR GUIDE · 2026

Best Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts: Ranked by Graduate Salary, Not Prestige
— ranked by salary, not prestige.

We rank by what graduates actually earn — not by reputation surveys.

01

The ranking

sortable · by salary outcomes
Rank School Salary Accept ROI Verdict
Amherst College $52,700 9.8%
REACH
Barnard College $52,700 8.0%
REACH
Bowdoin College $52,700 8.0%
REACH
04 Brown University $52,700 5.2%
REACH
05 Colby College $52,700 6.8%
REACH
06 Columbia University $52,700 4.2%
REACH
07 Cornell University $52,700 8.2%
REACH
08 Dartmouth College $52,700 6.2%
REACH
09 Duke University $52,700 6.8%
REACH
10 Harvard University $52,700 3.5%
REACH
11 Johns Hopkins University $52,700 7.6%
REACH
12 New York University (NYU) $52,700 9.4%
REACH
13 Northeastern University $52,700 5.7%
REACH
14 Northwestern University $52,700 7.1%
REACH
15 Pomona College $52,700 6.8%
REACH
16 Princeton University $52,700 4.5%
REACH
17 Rice University $52,700 7.9%
REACH
18 Stanford University $52,700 3.9%
REACH
19 Swarthmore College $52,700 6.9%
REACH
20 UCLA $52,700 9.0%
REACH
21 University of Chicago $52,700 4.8%
REACH
22 University of Pennsylvania $52,700 5.9%
REACH
23 Vanderbilt University $52,700 6.3%
REACH
24 Williams College $52,700 10.0%
REACH
25 Yale University $52,700 4.5%
REACH
26 Boston University $49,300 10.8%
REACH
27 Carnegie Mellon University $49,300 11.4%
REACH
28 Colgate University $49,300 11.9%
REACH
29 Davidson College $49,300 14.5%
REACH
30 Emory University $49,300 11.1%
REACH

Visual & Performing Arts Major FAQs

Which college has the highest Visual & Performing Arts salary?
Amherst College Visual & Performing Arts graduates earn the highest median 4-year-out salary on this list, at $52,700. Salary by program is the most reliable signal for ROI on major choice.
What is the most competitive Visual & Performing Arts program?
Harvard University is the most selective school on this list with a 3.5% overall acceptance rate. Top programs in Visual & Performing Arts often admit at significantly lower rates than the school-wide average.
Which colleges have an easier path to study Visual & Performing Arts?
Among schools on this list, Davidson College is the most accessible at a 14.5% acceptance rate. Less selective schools can still produce strong Visual & Performing Arts grads — what matters is fit, faculty, and your own work.
What GPA do I need for Visual & Performing Arts programs?
GPA requirements vary widely. Reach schools (acceptance < 20%) typically expect 3.8+ unweighted GPAs with rigorous coursework. Match schools (20-50%) expect 3.3-3.7. Less selective schools may admit at 3.0+. Major-specific admission (engineering, CS, business) is often tougher than the school average.
Should I pick a school based on Visual & Performing Arts ranking or overall prestige?
Major-specific salary outcomes beat overall school prestige for most career paths. A top program in Visual & Performing Arts at a less famous school often outperforms a mid-tier program at a brand-name school. The salary table on this page ranks programs by what graduates actually earn, not by reputation surveys.
▎FROM THE DATA TO YOUR LIST

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Data source: IPEDS, College Scorecard.