2026 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Georgia

[Fine & Studio Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 32 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for fine & studio arts students.
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2026 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Georgia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in fine & studio arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools
University Of North Georgia earned the #1 spot for value among fine & studio arts schools in Georgia. Located in the town of Dahlonega, University Of North Georgia is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,444, compared with $16,956 for out-of-state students. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $22,375 in student loans. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of University Of North Georgia earn a median of $23,530 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,375 median debt. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Georgia is a great value for students pursuing a degree in fine & studio arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Athens, University Of Georgia is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,450 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $31,688. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $21,947 in student loans. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $26,323. Set against $21,947 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in fine & studio arts will find it at Valdosta State University, which ranked #3. Valdosta State University is a large public school located in the city of Valdosta. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,124, with out-of-state students paying around $17,836. Students borrow a median of $27,290 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $21,255. Set against $27,290 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Columbus State University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. Columbus State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Columbus. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,898, with out-of-state students paying around $17,610. Students borrow a median of $30,430 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Columbus State University generally make around $22,798. Set against $30,430 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in fine & studio arts will find it at Augusta University, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Augusta, Augusta University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,414, compared with $24,734 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $27,741. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Augusta University generally make around $16,943. That is a strong return on a $27,741 median debt. Augusta University admits about 86% of applicants.
University Of West Georgia earned the #6 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. Set in the town of Carrollton, University Of West Georgia is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,088 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,800. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $31,000. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from University Of West Georgia generally make around $25,093. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 52%.
Georgia Military College Milledgeville earned the #7 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. Located in the town of Milledgeville, Georgia Military College Milledgeville is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,605. Students borrow a median of $13,587 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Georgia Military College Milledgeville generally make around $29,788. Set against $13,587 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Georgia State University earned the #8 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. Set in the city of Atlanta, Georgia State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,664, while out-of-state students pay about $24,840. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $27,349. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Georgia State University generally make around $21,226. That is a strong return on a $27,349 median debt. Roughly 55% of applicants are accepted.
Kennesaw State University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. Set in the suburb of Kennesaw, Kennesaw State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,808, compared with $17,736 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $26,097. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $35,846. That is a strong return on a $26,097 median debt. The acceptance rate is 69%.
Georgia Southern University came in at #10 for value in fine & studio arts this year. Set in the town of Statesboro, Georgia Southern University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,022 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $17,734. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $29,500. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Georgia Southern University generally make around $21,214. That is a strong return on a $29,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Georgia College And State University landed the #11 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Set in the town of Milledgeville, Georgia College And State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,186, with out-of-state students paying around $29,512. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Georgia College And State University generally make around $21,542. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Georgia College And State University admits about 78% of applicants.
Oglethorpe University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. Located in the suburb of Atlanta, Oglethorpe University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $47,590. Students borrow a median of $26,800 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Oglethorpe University generally make around $22,866. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Covenant College came in at #13 for value in fine & studio arts this year. Covenant College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lookout Mountain. In-state tuition and fees average $42,040. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $23,700. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Covenant College generally make around $37,404. That is a strong return on a $23,700 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Savannah College Of Art And Design placed #14 among the best values for fine & studio arts. Located in the city of Savannah, Savannah College Of Art And Design is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $41,630 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $27,000. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $30,812. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 83%.
More Fine & Studio Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 32 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 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.