by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual reviewed 94 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for bachelor's degree seekers in the field of visual & performing arts. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 13,001 bachelor's degrees in visual & performing arts during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The visual & performing arts bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for visual & performing arts students working on their bachelor's degree.
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in visual & performing arts. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Northwestern University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Northwestern University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a good option for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
It's difficult to beat University of Notre Dame if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in visual & performing arts. Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Notre Dame.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from University of Notre Dame
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the large city of Cincinnati, UC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Columbia is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the city of Chicago.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Columbia College Chicago
Michigan State is a very large public university located in the small city of East Lansing.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Michigan State University
UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the city of Madison.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Kent State University at Kent
Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Ohio State University - Main Campus
Located in the large city of Chicago, School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Located in the city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Indiana University - Bloomington
DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from DePaul University
UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Champaign.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
MIAD is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Milwaukee.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
Ferris is a medium-sized public university located in the town of Big Rapids.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Ferris State University
Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Purdue University - Main Campus
CCS is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large city of Detroit.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from College for Creative Studies
Oberlin is a small private not-for-profit college located in the fringe town of Oberlin.More information about a bachelor’s in visual & performing arts from Oberlin College
Here are some additional great schools for Visual & Performing Arts students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | University of Wisconsin - Stout | Menomonie, WI |
| 20 | Columbus College of Art and Design | Columbus, OH |
| 21 | Ohio University - Athens Campus | Athens, OH |
| 22 | Cleveland Institute of Art | Cleveland, OH |
| 23 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
| 24 | Butler University | Indianapolis, IN |
| 25 | Ball State University | Muncie, IN |
| 26 | Wheaton College Illinois | Wheaton, IL |
| 27 | Kenyon College | Gambier, OH |
| 28 | Lawrence University | Appleton, WI |
| 29 | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire | Eau Claire, WI |
| 30 | Capital University | Columbus, OH |
| 31 | University of Illinois at Chicago | Chicago, IL |
Explore the best visual & performing arts schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 3,493 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 3,013 |
| Music | 2,245 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 1,934 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 1,337 |
| Dance | 311 |
| Arts & Media Management | 296 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 286 |
| Other Visual Art | 74 |
| Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry | 12 |
