2026 Best Value Painting Schools in Massachusetts
[Painting](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/painting/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value painting schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Painting Schools in Massachusetts
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in painting, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Painting Schools
Leading the list is Massachusetts College Of Art And Design, our #1 best value for painting in Massachusetts. Massachusetts College Of Art And Design is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Boston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,400, compared with $43,400 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the painting program here. Early-career painting graduates make about $38,090. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Massachusetts College Of Art And Design admits about 76% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in painting will find it at Boston University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Boston, Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,102. Painting graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career painting graduates make about $27,226. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Boston University admits about 11% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Montserrat College Of Art one of the best values for painting. Located in the suburb of Beverly, Montserrat College Of Art is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $40,690. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the painting program here. Painting graduates of Montserrat College Of Art earn a median of $21,543 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
View All Painting Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
