Are there any good 50-50 schools for students majoring in the Visual and Performing Arts? Unfortunately, I can’t say since I don’t really know much about what defines a quality music program or which schools have the best reputation in theater or dance. Just from the little I’ve read, I suspect that the category is too broad to be meaningful to students seriously interested in one of the art disciplines.
What I can tell you is which 50-50 schools have the highest percentage or absolute number of their graduates with majors in the Visual and Performing Arts. The table below lists the top 50 50-50 schools in terms of percentage of graduates with Performing and Visual Arts majors and absolute number of such graduates. Thirteen schools appear on both lists. Nine of the schools have a Carnegie Classification of “Schools of art-music and design.”
Resources for Visual and Performing Arts Majors
For those who are looking for more information about the Visual and Performing Arts, you might start with the following resources:
Performing and Visual Arts College Fair The National Association for College Admissions Counseling hosts 20 Performing and Visual Arts College Fairs nationwide each fall.
Creative Kid College Coach This blog is by a college counselor who specializes in the students pursuing the arts.
ArtsBridge Another blog by a college counseling group that specializes in the arts. Be sure to check out their FAQ section.
CollegeXpress This is a general college search website but has some good articles for those interested in the visual and performing arts.
Majoring In Music.com The website title says it all. Definitely the place to start if you’re interested in music.
Dance-Colleges.com Listing and ranking of dance schools. Can’t tell the source of the rankings or who is responsible for the website.
National Unified Auditions Holds auditions annually for over 20 colleges overs undergraduate B.F.A. programs in theatre.
50 Great Affordable Colleges for Art and Music Worth reading just for the brief descriptions of each college.
National Portfolio Day Offers students opportunity to discuss portfolio with colleges accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
Teen Life Guide to Performing & Visual Arts Includes articles, fair schedules, and college listings.
50-50 Schools with the Most Graduates with Visual and Performing Arts Majors
| Name | Type | State | Full-time Under-grads | 4/5 yr Grad Rate | Visual and Performing Arts | % Freshman Receiving Pell Grants | Avg Net Price After Gift Aid (2014-2015) |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | Private | GA | 7,981 | 52 | 1073 | 23 | $38,645 |
| Arizona State University-Tempe | Public | AZ | 38,212 | 61 | 717 | 28 | $12,893 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Public | VA | 20,137 | 56 | 580 | 30 | $19,898 |
| University of Central Florida | Public | FL | 37,661 | 64 | 551 | 33 | $14,366 |
| Belmont University | Private | TN | 5,639 | 57 | 507 | 18 | $32,672 |
| Temple University | Public | PA | 25,318 | 66 | 472 | 30 | $20,236 |
| Florida State University | Public | FL | 29,185 | 77 | 455 | 24 | $16,708 |
| Montclair State University | Public | NJ | 14,433 | 60 | 448 | 42 | $14,549 |
| Indiana University-Bloomington | Public | IN | 31,728 | 74 | 390 | 18 | $13,289 |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | Public | OH | 21,017 | 59 | 387 | 21 | $20,141 |
| The University of the Arts | Private | PA | 1,664 | 58 | 382 | 31 | $35,019 |
| University of California-Santa Cruz | Public | CA | 15,823 | 75 | 379 | 40 | $17,550 |
| University of Oregon | Public | OR | 18,630 | 68 | 367 | 24 | $15,128 |
| Massachusetts College of Art and Design | Public | MA | 1,546 | 70 | 356 | 30 | $21,277 |
| University of Colorado Boulder | Public | CO | 25,059 | 67 | 310 | 16 | $21,248 |
| University of Arizona | Public | AZ | 29,597 | 57 | 302 | 28 | $15,591 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus | Public | WA | 28,377 | 81 | 297 | 21 | $9,744 |
| Emerson College | Private | MA | 3,732 | 78 | 291 | 15 | $36,720 |
| University of Iowa | Public | IA | 19,911 | 69 | 287 | 21 | $14,558 |
| Kent State University at Kent | Public | OH | 19,207 | 51 | 286 | 34 | $18,531 |
| University of Utah | Public | UT | 16,927 | 52 | 281 | 27 | $12,136 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | Public | OH | 41,117 | 80 | 275 | 17 | $18,502 |
| California State University-Chico | Public | CA | 14,934 | 55 | 272 | 45 | $13,583 |
| Columbus College of Art and Design | Private | OH | 1,064 | 50 | 271 | 38 | $26,056 |
| Appalachian State University | Public | NC | 15,351 | 68 | 267 | 25 | $11,508 |
| George Mason University | Public | VA | 18,430 | 64 | 266 | 26 | $17,316 |
| University of Georgia | Public | GA | 25,906 | 82 | 265 | 20 | $13,280 |
| Towson University | Public | MD | 16,768 | 67 | 253 | 23 | $14,696 |
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | Public | OH | 13,214 | 52 | 251 | 36 | $17,516 |
| Iowa State University | Public | IA | 28,771 | 68 | 249 | 20 | $13,647 |
| University of California-Riverside | Public | CA | 18,279 | 69 | 247 | 52 | $13,365 |
| Ithaca College | Private | NY | 6,206 | 69 | 246 | 19 | $34,893 |
| University of Kansas | Public | KS | 17,191 | 58 | 244 | 24 | $18,485 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | Public | PA | 39,520 | 83 | 244 | 13 | $24,992 |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins | Public | CO | 20,769 | 63 | 241 | 21 | $15,664 |
| DePaul University | Private | IL | 13,664 | 56 | 239 | 33 | $30,676 |
| Ball State University | Public | IN | 14,716 | 58 | 238 | 36 | $12,847 |
| University of South Carolina-Columbia | Public | SC | 23,613 | 70 | 231 | 18 | $19,434 |
| College of Charleston | Public | SC | 9,590 | 66 | 228 | 20 | $18,677 |
| Loyola Marymount University | Private | CA | 6,030 | 70 | 227 | 18 | $40,226 |
| Michigan State University | Public | MI | 35,645 | 73 | 227 | 21 | $14,601 |
| Otis College of Art and Design | Private | CA | 1,081 | 65 | 226 | 34 | $38,141 |
| Grand Valley State University | Public | MI | 19,376 | 60 | 220 | 30 | $15,752 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | Public | NJ | 33,392 | 77 | 219 | 28 | $15,869 |
| Illinois State University | Public | IL | 17,151 | 70 | 218 | 29 | $17,509 |
| University of Hartford | Private | CT | 4,533 | 49 | 216 | 33 | $30,328 |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Public | NC | 13,451 | 52 | 211 | 51 | $9,875 |
| James Madison University | Public | VA | 18,433 | 81 | 204 | 15 | $16,683 |
| Ringling College of Art and Design | Private | FL | 1,181 | 64 | 201 | 22 | $42,532 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | Public | WI | 28,555 | 81 | 197 | 12 | $16,060 |
