2026 Best Value Art Studies Schools in New Jersey
[Art Studies](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/art-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 19 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for art studies students.
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2026 Best Value Art Studies Schools in New Jersey
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the art studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Art Studies Schools
New Jersey City University tops our 2026 list of the best value art studies schools in New Jersey. New Jersey City University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Jersey City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,460. Typical student debt for art studies graduates is $19,000. Soon after graduation, art studies degree recipients from New Jersey City University generally make around $19,326. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in art studies will find it at Essex County College, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Newark, Essex County College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,415 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $9,523. Art Studies graduates carry a median of $12,472 in student loans. Early-career art studies graduates make about $37,915. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #3 makes Kean University one of the best values for art studies. Set in the suburb of Union, Kean University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $14,299, while out-of-state students pay about $22,446. Students borrow a median of $28,750 to complete the art studies program here. Early-career art studies graduates make about $25,928. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 76%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Montclair State University earned it the #4 place for art studies. Montclair State University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Montclair. Students from in state pay about $15,912 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $26,022. Art Studies graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, art studies degree recipients from Montclair State University generally make around $21,934. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at William Paterson University Of New Jersey earned it the #5 place for art studies. Located in the suburb of Wayne, William Paterson University Of New Jersey is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,704, compared with $25,344 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the art studies program here. Early-career art studies graduates make about $23,892. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Rutgers University Camden ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value art studies schools. Located in the city of Camden, Rutgers University Camden is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,764, with out-of-state students paying around $37,276. Typical student debt for art studies graduates is $25,975. Soon after graduation, art studies degree recipients from Rutgers University Camden generally make around $21,908. Set against $25,975 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Rutgers University Camden admits about 66% of applicants.
Rutgers University Newark landed the #7 spot for art studies value this year. Located in the city of Newark, Rutgers University Newark is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,250, compared with $36,762 for out-of-state students. Art Studies graduates carry a median of $25,975 in student loans. Soon after graduation, art studies degree recipients from Rutgers University Newark generally make around $21,908. Set against $25,975 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
Rowan University landed the #8 spot for art studies value this year. Set in the suburb of Glassboro, Rowan University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $16,574, with out-of-state students paying around $26,932. Typical student debt for art studies graduates is $21,708. Art Studies graduates of Rowan University earn a median of $26,119 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,708 median debt. Rowan University admits about 78% of applicants.
Rutgers University New Brunswick landed the #9 spot for art studies value this year. Set in the city of New Brunswick, Rutgers University New Brunswick is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,929, with out-of-state students paying around $37,441. Art Studies graduates carry a median of $25,975 in student loans. Art Studies graduates of Rutgers University New Brunswick earn a median of $20,561 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 58%.
The College Of New Jersey earned the #10 position for value in art studies this year. Located in the suburb of Ewing, The College Of New Jersey is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,632, with out-of-state students paying around $25,752. Art Studies graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career art studies graduates make about $33,214. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 62%.
More Art Studies Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
