by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 25 schools in the Southwest Region to determine which ones were the best for visual & performing arts students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,148 master's degrees in visual & performing arts to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of visual & performing arts for getting your master's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality visual & performing arts program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for visual & performing arts students working on their master's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in visual & performing arts.
Texas Christian University is a wonderful option for individuals interested in a master's degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from Texas Christian University
Every student who is interested in a master's degree in visual & performing arts needs to look into The University of Texas at Austin. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from The University of Texas at Austin
Every student who is interested in a master's degree in visual & performing arts has to look into Southern Methodist University. Located in the large suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from Southern Methodist University
Every student who is interested in a master's degree in visual & performing arts has to take a look at Sam Houston State University. Located in the distant town of Huntsville, SHSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from Sam Houston State University
Baylor is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Waco.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from Baylor University
Located in the city of Richardson, UT Dallas is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from The University of Texas at Dallas
ASU - Tempe is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Tempe.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from Arizona State University - Tempe
Located in the city of Denton, UNT is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from University of North Texas
Texas Tech is a very large public university located in the large city of Lubbock.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from Texas Tech University
Located in the large city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from University of Arizona
Explore the best visual & performing arts colleges for a specific state in the Southwest Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 32 | 182 |
| Texas | 32 | 805 |
| Oklahoma | 32 | 108 |
| New Mexico | 31 | 39 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Music | 611 |
| Fine & Studio Arts | 209 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 123 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 93 |
| Dance | 42 |
| Arts & Media Management | 34 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 23 |
| Other Visual Art | 11 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 2 |
