2026 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in District of Columbia

[Fine & Studio Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/) 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 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value fine & studio arts schools.
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2026 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in District of Columbia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the fine & studio arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools
Leading the list is University Of The District Of Columbia, our #1 best value for fine & studio arts in District of Columbia. Set in the city of Washington, University Of The District Of Columbia is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,662, while out-of-state students pay about $12,514. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $32,304. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $57,060. Set against $32,304 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in fine & studio arts will find it at George Washington University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $67,710 in tuition and fees. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $22,910 in student loans. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $73,749. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 47%.
Georgetown University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. Set in the city of Washington, Georgetown University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,089. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $16,483. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of Georgetown University earn a median of $79,632 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,483 median debt. Roughly 13% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in fine & studio arts will find it at American University, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $58,771. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $23,250. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from American University generally make around $35,197. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. American University admits about 62% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Howard University earned it the #5 place for fine & studio arts. Located in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $35,810. Students borrow a median of $25,498 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $58,495. Set against $25,498 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Howard University admits about 41% of applicants.
More Fine & Studio Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.