[Other Visual & Performing Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/other-visual-performing-arts/visual-and-performing-arts-other/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools to find the best return on investment for other visual & performing arts students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the other visual & performing arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in other visual & performing arts, no school beat Columbia University In The City Of New York this year. Located in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,517. Students borrow a median of $26,971 to complete the other visual & performing arts program here. Soon after graduation, other visual & performing arts degree recipients from Columbia University In The City Of New York generally make around $86,770. That is a strong return on a $26,971 median debt. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at New York University earned it the #2 place for other visual & performing arts. Located in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $62,796 in tuition and fees. Other Visual & Performing Arts graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career other visual & performing arts graduates make about $31,469. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. New York University admits about 9% of applicants.
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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 · 18 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.
