2026 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in North Carolina
[Fine & Studio Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/) 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 37 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for fine & studio arts students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in North Carolina
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
University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill tops our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools in North Carolina. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill. Students from in state pay about $8,994 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $41,203. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $14,600 in student loans. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $24,005. Set against $14,600 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 15%.
A rank of #2 makes University Of North Carolina At Greensboro one of the best values for fine & studio arts. Located in the city of Greensboro, University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,661, with out-of-state students paying around $24,012. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $18,745. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes University Of North Carolina At Pembroke one of the best values for fine & studio arts. Located in the town of Pembroke, University Of North Carolina At Pembroke is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,648, while out-of-state students pay about $7,648. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $40,578. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 93%.
Western Carolina University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in fine & studio arts, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the town of Cullowhee, Western Carolina University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,630, compared with $8,630 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $26,000. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $24,253. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in fine & studio arts will find it at University Of North Carolina At Asheville, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Asheville, University Of North Carolina At Asheville is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,501, with out-of-state students paying around $24,849. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $23,942. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of University Of North Carolina At Asheville earn a median of $23,504 early in their careers. Set against $23,942 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 92%.
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte landed the #6 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Located in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,239, with out-of-state students paying around $22,492. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earn a median of $25,855 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Fayetteville State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. Fayetteville State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Fayetteville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,353, while out-of-state students pay about $8,353. Students borrow a median of $27,497 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Fayetteville State University generally make around $16,454. That is a strong return on a $27,497 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
North Carolina A And T State University came in at #8 for value in fine & studio arts this year. Located in the city of Greensboro, North Carolina A And T State University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,813, while out-of-state students pay about $20,673. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $15,257. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh earned the #9 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. Located in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,799, with out-of-state students paying around $32,847. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from North Carolina State University At Raleigh generally make around $30,577. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. North Carolina State University At Raleigh admits about 42% of applicants.
Appalachian State University landed the #10 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Appalachian State University is a very large public school located in the town of Boone. Students from in state pay about $7,579 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $25,212. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $21,985. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Appalachian State University generally make around $22,120. Set against $21,985 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
East Carolina University placed #11 among the best values for fine & studio arts. Set in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,361 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $23,638. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from East Carolina University generally make around $21,271. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Davidson College landed the #12 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Davidson College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Davidson. In-state tuition and fees average $64,430. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $19,906 in student loans. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $41,505. That is a strong return on a $19,906 median debt. Davidson College admits about 13% of applicants.
North Carolina Central University earned the #13 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. North Carolina Central University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Durham. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,699, while out-of-state students pay about $19,735. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of North Carolina Central University earn a median of $21,980 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 87%.
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public school located in the city of Wilmington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,277, compared with $24,152 for out-of-state students. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $26,672 in student loans. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $43,497. That is a strong return on a $26,672 median debt. University Of North Carolina At Wilmington admits about 64% of applicants.
Duke University earned the #15 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. Duke University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Durham. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,758. Students borrow a median of $13,296 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Duke University generally make around $83,388. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 6%.
More Fine & Studio Arts Rankings
View All Fine & Studio Arts Rankings >
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 · 37 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 14 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.
