by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re a veteran, service member, or military-affiliated student looking to study visual and performing arts, you’ve come to the right place. This ranking highlights 638 programs that serve veteran visual and performing arts students especially well, using our 2026 methodology.
Our ranking weighs the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students: affordability and veteran financial benefits (including GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon support), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community. To help you decide, College Factual reviewed colleges nationwide, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
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Here are the top-ranked visual and performing arts colleges for veterans:
Leading the list is University of Nebraska-Lincoln, our #1 visual and performing arts college for veterans. University of Nebraska-Lincoln scores 91.2 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. Read more about visual and performing arts at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Veteran students seeking a strong visual and performing arts program will find one at University of Delaware, which ranked #2. It scores 91.1 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. See the full visual and performing arts report for University of Delaware
Veteran students seeking a strong visual and performing arts program will find one at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which ranked #3. The school's overall veterans score is 90.4 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 66.7. More about the visual and performing arts program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A rank of #4 makes Ohio State University-Main Campus one of the top visual and performing arts colleges for veteran students. Ohio State University-Main Campus scores 89.9 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. See the full visual and performing arts report for Ohio State University-Main Campus
Veteran students seeking a strong visual and performing arts program will find one at James Madison University, which ranked #5. It scores 89.6 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score.
See the full visual and performing arts report for James Madison University
5
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor placed #6 among the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 89.6 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about visual and performing arts at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Georgia came in at #7 for veteran visual and performing arts students this year. The school's overall veterans score is 89.3 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. Read more about visual and performing arts at University of Georgia
William & Mary ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 89.2 out of 100. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. See the full visual and performing arts report for William & Mary
University of South Florida came in at #9 for veteran visual and performing arts students this year. University of South Florida scores 89.0 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. More about the visual and performing arts program at University of South Florida
Rutgers University-New Brunswick landed the #10 spot for veterans pursuing visual and performing arts. The school's overall veterans score is 88.8 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0.
See the full visual and performing arts report for Rutgers University-New Brunswick
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University of Wisconsin-Whitewater came in at #11 for veteran visual and performing arts students this year. It scores 88.5 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the visual and performing arts program at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
East Carolina University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 88.2 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the visual and performing arts program at East Carolina University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University landed the #13 spot for veterans pursuing visual and performing arts. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University scores 88.1 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about visual and performing arts at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
The University of Texas at Arlington landed the #14 spot for veterans pursuing visual and performing arts. The school's overall veterans score is 87.9 out of 100. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about visual and performing arts at The University of Texas at Arlington
San Diego State University came in at #15 for veteran visual and performing arts students this year. It scores 87.8 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0.
See the full visual and performing arts report for San Diego State University
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University of Alabama at Birmingham placed #16 among the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. University of Alabama at Birmingham scores 87.7 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. Read more about visual and performing arts at University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Nevada-Las Vegas placed #17 among the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. University of Nevada-Las Vegas scores 87.6 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Veteran affordability (GI Bill benefits, tuition support) scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. More about the visual and performing arts program at University of Nevada-Las Vegas
University of Virginia-Main Campus placed #18 among the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. University of Virginia-Main Campus scores 87.5 out of 100 for veteran support overall. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. Read more about visual and performing arts at University of Virginia-Main Campus
Stony Brook University ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. It scores 87.1 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 66.7 veteran-support score. More about the visual and performing arts program at Stony Brook University
California State University-Long Beach placed #20 among the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. It scores 86.7 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0.
See the full visual and performing arts report for California State University-Long Beach
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University of Florida came in at #21 for veteran visual and performing arts students this year. It scores 86.4 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, alongside a 100.0 veteran-support score. Read more about visual and performing arts at University of Florida
Rutgers University-Newark landed the #22 spot for veterans pursuing visual and performing arts. It scores 86.1 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. Read more about visual and performing arts at Rutgers University-Newark
Salt Lake Community College placed #23 among the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. The school's overall veterans score is 86.0 out of 100. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 100.0. See the full visual and performing arts report for Salt Lake Community College
Binghamton University came in at #24 for veteran visual and performing arts students this year. It scores 85.8 out of 100 for serving veteran and military students. Its affordability for veterans scores 100.0, and veteran resources 66.7. See the full visual and performing arts report for Binghamton University
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus placed #25 among the best visual and performing arts colleges for veterans. University of Cincinnati-Main Campus scores 85.6 out of 100 for veteran support overall. On veteran affordability it scores 100.0, with a veteran-resources score of 100.0. Read more about visual and performing arts at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Not far behind, these visual and performing arts colleges also rank among the best for veterans this year:
Click a college name to learn more:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Portland State University | 83.58 |
| 52 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | 83.46 |
| 53 | Southern New Hampshire University | 83.35 |
| 54 | Rutgers University-Camden | 83.32 |
| 55 | Illinois State University | 83.01 |
| 56 | Collin County Community College District | 83.01 |
| 57 | Texas State University | 83.01 |
| 58 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | 82.95 |
| 59 | Nassau Community College | 82.91 |
| 60 | Miami Dade College | 82.79 |
These schools also stood out:
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 82.73 |
| 62 | University of North Alabama | 82.65 |
| 63 | University of Mary Washington | 82.63 |
| 64 | California State University-Northridge | 82.46 |
| 65 | Florida State University | 82.43 |
| 66 | The University of Alabama | 82.38 |
| 67 | University of Northern Iowa | 82.23 |
| 68 | University of South Dakota | 82.17 |
| 69 | George Mason University | 82.15 |
| 70 | Rowan University | 82.13 |
| 71 | Bellevue University | 82.13 |
| 72 | Southern Connecticut State University | 82.10 |
| 73 | Georgia State University | 81.98 |
| 74 | University of Minnesota-Duluth | 81.93 |
| 75 | Georgia Southern University | 81.92 |
| Rank | College | Veterans Score |
|---|---|---|
| 76 | Valencia College | 81.86 |
| 77 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus | 81.77 |
| 78 | Clemson University | 81.75 |
| 79 | SUNY Buffalo State University | 81.74 |
| 80 | University of Nevada-Reno | 81.70 |
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
Our ranking weighs the factors that matter most to veteran and military-affiliated students studying visual and performing arts: affordability and veteran financial benefits (GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon), academic quality, on-campus veteran resources and support services, veteran-friendly policies, and the size of the veteran student community.
These rankings are produced by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.
