ADBLOCK #102
College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Art History Schools in the Far Western Region

29 Colleges in the United States
337 Art History Degrees Awarded
$32,733 Avg Early-Career Salary

Art History is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 58 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for art history students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

ADBLOCK #159
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/art-history/offers.json", major_slug = ""
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/art-history/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/art-history/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/art-history/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/art-history/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/art-history/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/art-history/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = ""
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: No offers_data.offers found, showing generic ESYOH widget

Best Schools for Art History in the Far Western Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall art history education in the Far Western Region.

Top Schools in Art History

1
Stanford University crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA

Stanford University tops our 2026 ranking of the best art history schools. Set in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 92% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 14 art history students who graduated with this degree at Stanford University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the art history program make about $100,827 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $10,492. Read more about the art history program at Stanford University

2

University Of California Santa Barbara is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in art history, ranking #2. University Of California Santa Barbara is a very large public school located in the suburb of Santa Barbara. About 83% of students finish within six years. About 36 art history degrees were awarded at University Of California Santa Barbara in the most recent year. Art History graduates of University Of California Santa Barbara earn a median of $45,488 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $16,978. Get the full art history details for University Of California Santa Barbara

3

University Of Washington Seattle Campus is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in art history, ranking #3. This very large public university is located in the city of Seattle. Roughly 85% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 22 art history degrees were awarded at University Of Washington Seattle Campus in the most recent year. Graduates of the art history program make about $25,947 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $13,667 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in art history from University Of Washington Seattle Campus

4

Students looking for a strong art history program will find one at University Of Southern California, which ranked #4. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Los Angeles. University Of Southern California graduates 92% of students within six years. About 21 art history degrees were awarded at University Of Southern California in the most recent year. Students who receive their art history degree from University Of Southern California earn around $50,161 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $21,125. See the full art history program report for University Of Southern California

5

University Of California Los Angeles is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in art history, ranking #5. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 93%. University Of California Los Angeles awarded about 60 art history degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, art history degree recipients from University Of California Los Angeles generally make around $21,220. University Of California Los Angeles graduates carry a median of $14,000 in student loans. Read more about the art history program at University Of California Los Angeles

6

University Of California Davis ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best art history schools. Set in the suburb of Davis, University Of California Davis is a very large public institution. Roughly 86% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 17 art history students who graduated with this degree at University Of California Davis in the most recent data year. Art History graduates of University Of California Davis earn a median of $32,741 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $15,061 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in art history from University Of California Davis

7

University Of California Berkeley came in at #7 for art history this year. Located in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a very large public university. Roughly 93% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 42 art history degrees were awarded at University Of California Berkeley in the most recent year. Graduates of the art history program make about $20,368 in their early career. University Of California Berkeley graduates carry a median of $13,254 in student loans. Read more about the art history program at University Of California Berkeley

8

University Of California San Diego came in at #8 for art history this year. Set in the city of La Jolla, University Of California San Diego is a very large public institution. University Of California San Diego graduates 86% of students within six years. About 15 art history degrees were awarded at University Of California San Diego in the most recent year. Students who receive their art history degree from University Of California San Diego earn around $21,777 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $15,218 to complete this degree. See the full art history program report for University Of California San Diego

9

Western Washington University came in at #9 for art history this year. Set in the city of Bellingham, Western Washington University is a large public institution. Western Washington University graduates 65% of students within six years. Western Washington University awarded about 13 art history degrees in the most recent data year. Art History graduates of Western Washington University earn a median of $23,102 early in their careers. Western Washington University graduates carry a median of $21,246 in student loans. Get the full art history details for Western Washington University

10

University Of California Irvine earned the #10 position for art history this year. Located in the city of Irvine, University Of California Irvine is a very large public university. University Of California Irvine graduates 87% of students within six years. About 10 art history degrees were awarded at University Of California Irvine in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, art history degree recipients from University Of California Irvine generally make around $20,128. University Of California Irvine graduates carry a median of $17,635 in student loans. See the full art history program report for University Of California Irvine

11

University Of California Riverside ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best art history schools. This very large public university is located in the city of Riverside. The six-year graduation rate is 76%. About 32 art history degrees were awarded at University Of California Riverside in the most recent year. Graduates of the art history program make about $21,792 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $17,500 to complete this degree. Read more about the art history program at University Of California Riverside

12

University Of California Santa Cruz came in at #12 for art history this year. University Of California Santa Cruz is a very large public school located in the city of Santa Cruz. University Of California Santa Cruz graduates 75% of students within six years. There were roughly 38 art history students who graduated with this degree at University Of California Santa Cruz in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, art history degree recipients from University Of California Santa Cruz generally make around $21,106. Typical student debt for the program is $19,500. See the full art history program report for University Of California Santa Cruz

13

Portland State University placed #13 among the best art history schools. Portland State University is a very large public school located in the city of Portland. Portland State University graduates 53% of students within six years. About 17 art history degrees were awarded at Portland State University in the most recent year. Art History graduates of Portland State University earn a median of $20,866 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $35,125 to complete this degree. See the full art history program report for Portland State University

ADBLOCK #173
View All Art History Rankings >

ADBLOCK #115

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 58 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

ADBLOCK #116

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs
ADBLOCK #613

Compare Your School Options