2021 Best Top Art, Music, & Design Schools Rankings
Top Art, Music, & Design Schools Ranking Overview
The Colburn Conservatory of Music ranked first and Curtis Institute of Music ranked second in Top Art, Music, & Design Schools rankings. The 2020 average tuition & fees of the schools is $32,958. The average number of student population is 961 and the average student to faculty ratio is 9 to 1. Below statements are summarizing average statistics of tuition, admission, and more academic factors for Top Art, Music, & Design Schools. For the statistics, we include top 20 schools out of total 125 Top Art, Music, & Design Schools.
- The average undergraduate tuition & fees is $32,958 and Gemini School of Visual Arts & Communication has the highest tuition & fees of $88,000 and Curtis Institute of Music has the lowest tuition & fees of $2,525.
- The average graduate tuition & fees is $37,167 and California College of the Arts has the highest tuition & fees of $53,750 and Curtis Institute of Music has the lowest tuition & fees of $2,525.
- The average student population is 961 and Savannah College of Art and Design has the most students of 14,086 and Beverly Hills Design Institute has the fewest students of 9.
- The average graduation rate is 62.87% and The Juilliard School has the highest rate of 96% and Boston Architectural College has the lowest rate of 13%.
Read our ranking methodology and know how to rank.
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Best Top Art, Music, & Design Schools Comparison Table
| Rank | College Name | Tuition & Fees | Population | Graduation Rate | Financial Aid | Student to Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Colburn Conservatory of Music Los Angeles, CA | $50,741 | 120 | - | - | 5 to 1 |
| 2 | Curtis Institute of Music Philadelphia, PA | $2,525 | 171 | 69% | 100% | 2 to 1 |
| 3 | The Juilliard School New York, NY | $47,370 | 942 | 96% | 77% | 5 to 1 |
| 4 | Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI | $52,860 | 2,467 | 89% | 39% | 9 to 1 |
| 6 | University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem, NC | $25,901 | 1,042 | 75% | 68% | 7 to 1 |
| 7 | San Francisco Conservatory of Music San Francisco, CA | $47,560 | 398 | 61% | 100% | 8 to 1 |
| 8 | Pratt Institute-Main Brooklyn, NY | $53,824 | 5,015 | 70% | 74% | 9 to 1 |
| 9 | California Jazz Conservatory Berkeley, CA | $19,900 | 54 | - | 48% | 6 to 1 |
| 10 | College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI | $45,815 | 1,485 | 70% | 100% | 10 to 1 |
| 11 | Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science Inc Pittsburgh, PA | $23,320 | 217 | 92% | 43% | 17 to 1 |
| 12 | Minneapolis College of Art and Design Minneapolis, MN | $40,396 | 854 | 64% | 98% | 11 to 1 |
| 13 | Manhattan School of Music New York, NY | $49,130 | 1,008 | 88% | 78% | 5 to 1 |
| 14 | Los Angeles College of Music Pasadena, CA | $25,650 | 290 | 47% | 23% | 5 to 1 |
| 15 | The New England Conservatory of Music Boston, MA | $50,460 | 838 | 81% | 93% | 5 to 1 |
| 16 | Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA | $38,075 | 14,086 | 70% | 91% | 21 to 1 |
| 17 | California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA | $51,466 | 1,506 | 61% | 85% | 7 to 1 |
| 18 | Beverly Hills Design Institute Beverly Hills, CA | $23,220 | 9 | 67% | 78% | 5 to 1 |
| 19 | KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts Dallas, TX | $17,460 | 111 | 68% | 64% | 10 to 1 |
| 20 | Design Institute of San Diego San Diego, CA | $25,620 | 98 | 56% | 48% | 7 to 1 |
| 21 | Maryland Institute College of Art Baltimore, MD | $50,330 | 2,178 | 72% | 95% | 9 to 1 |
| 22 | American Musical and Dramatic Academy New York, NY | $40,444 | 1,676 | 75% | 91% | 9 to 1 |
| 23 | Berklee College of Music Boston, MA | $45,660 | 6,963 | 65% | 55% | 10 to 1 |
| 24 | Louisiana Culinary Institute Baton Rouge, LA | $14,575 | 125 | 57% | 54% | 16 to 1 |
| 25 | The Creative Center Omaha, NE | $27,755 | 39 | 77% | 61% | 9 to 1 |
| 26 | Gemini School of Visual Arts & Communication Cedar Park, TX | $88,000 | 15 | - | 47% | 3 to 1 |
| 27 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | $48,754 | 3,639 | 70% | 87% | 11 to 1 |
| 28 | Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA | $44,932 | 2,249 | 69% | 62% | 8 to 1 |
| 29 | Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, MA | $38,400 | 2,087 | 71% | 74% | 10 to 1 |
| 30 | Visible Music College Memphis, TN | $20,250 | 172 | 43% | 94% | 6 to 1 |
| 31 | Cleveland Institute of Art Cleveland, OH | $43,305 | 670 | 60% | 94% | 9 to 1 |
| 32 | Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, CA | $48,380 | 1,144 | 66% | 81% | 8 to 1 |
| 33 | Compass College of Cinematic Arts Grand Rapids, MI | $13,860 | 129 | 94% | 77% | 12 to 1 |
| 34 | Laguna College of Art and Design Laguna Beach, CA | $31,600 | 758 | 57% | 100% | 12 to 1 |
| 35 | Art Academy of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH | $34,335 | 201 | 48% | 100% | 10 to 1 |
| 36 | Ringling College of Art and Design Sarasota, FL | $47,970 | 1,561 | 67% | 92% | 11 to 1 |
| 37 | Delaware College of Art and Design Wilmington, DE | $25,770 | 118 | 58% | 91% | 9 to 1 |
| 38 | New York School of Interior Design New York, NY | $32,682 | 537 | 76% | 30% | 10 to 1 |
| 39 | John A Gupton College Nashville, TN | $11,158 | 168 | 43% | 67% | 11 to 1 |
| 40 | Cleveland Institute of Music Cleveland, OH | $45,140 | 402 | 85% | 100% | 5 to 1 |
| 41 | American Academy of Dramatic Arts-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | $36,190 | 263 | 56% | 98% | 14 to 1 |
| 42 | The Art Institute of Cincinnati-AIC College of Design Cincinnati, OH | $15,674 | 17 | - | 85% | 6 to 1 |
| 43 | The University of the Arts Philadelphia, PA | $46,680 | 1,914 | 61% | 98% | 8 to 1 |
| 44 | School of Visual Arts New York, NY | $41,900 | 4,390 | 70% | 46% | 8 to 1 |
| 45 | FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | $32,732 | 2,221 | 71% | 52% | 18 to 1 |
| 46 | Musicians Institute Hollywood, CA | $25,325 | 1,105 | 62% | 39% | 5 to 1 |
| 47 | Columbus College of Art and Design Columbus, OH | $36,750 | 1,094 | 65% | 100% | 9 to 1 |
| 49 | Nossi College of Art Nashville, TN | $17,800 | 303 | 63% | 84% | 8 to 1 |
| 50 | FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San Francisco San Francisco, CA | $32,732 | 218 | 71% | 59% | 11 to 1 |
| 51 | Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design Milwaukee, WI | $38,550 | 756 | 59% | 100% | 11 to 1 |
| 52 | Moore College of Art and Design Philadelphia, PA | $43,082 | 397 | 72% | 100% | 7 to 1 |
| 53 | Columbia College Hollywood Tarzana, CA | $24,495 | 540 | 49% | 55% | 14 to 1 |
| 54 | Cornish College of the Arts Seattle, WA | $33,360 | 625 | 54% | 99% | 10 to 1 |
| 55 | Newschool of Architecture and Design San Diego, CA | $28,386 | 537 | 43% | 68% | 8 to 1 |
| 56 | Pennsylvania College of Art and Design Lancaster, PA | $26,600 | 251 | 44% | 96% | 10 to 1 |
| 57 | Memphis College of Art Memphis, TN | $33,130 | 116 | 54% | 99% | 6 to 1 |
| 59 | Theatre of Arts Hollywood, CA | $19,800 | 36 | 27% | 65% | 3 to 1 |
| 60 | New Hampshire Institute of Art Manchester, NH | $28,080 | 337 | - | 100% | 8 to 1 |
| 62 | Southern California Institute of Architecture Los Angeles, CA | $46,492 | 506 | 94% | 42% | 11 to 1 |
| 64 | California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA | $51,092 | 1,805 | 64% | 74% | 11 to 1 |
| 65 | American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York New York, NY | $36,190 | 270 | 81% | 40% | 8 to 1 |
| 66 | Boston Architectural College Boston, MA | $24,198 | 663 | 13% | 48% | 3 to 1 |
| 67 | Watkins College of Art Design & Film Nashville, TN | $24,750 | 193 | 42% | 92% | 7 to 1 |
| 68 | Kansas City Art Institute Kansas City, MO | $39,200 | 672 | 61% | 100% | 9 to 1 |
| 69 | The Modern College of Design Kettering, OH | $29,507 | 210 | 67% | 69% | 13 to 1 |
| 70 | New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts New York, NY | $33,561 | 257 | 74% | 100% | 18 to 1 |
| 71 | Southwest University of Visual Arts-Albuquerque Albuquerque, NM | $22,588 | 49 | 19% | 50% | 4 to 1 |
| 72 | Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Philadelphia, PA | $40,376 | 273 | 64% | 100% | 7 to 1 |
| 73 | Pacific Northwest College of Art Portland, OR | $40,375 | 574 | 43% | 99% | 10 to 1 |
| 75 | San Francisco Art Institute San Francisco, CA | $46,614 | 381 | 46% | 91% | 9 to 1 |
| 77 | Paier College of Art Inc Hamden, CT | $17,570 | 83 | 61% | 49% | 3 to 1 |
| 78 | Oregon College of Art and Craft Portland, OR | $34,850 | 137 | - | 96% | 6 to 1 |
| 80 | Southwest University of Visual Arts-Tucson Tucson, AZ | $23,044 | 125 | 17% | 75% | 10 to 1 |
| 82 | Maine College of Art Portland, ME | $36,424 | 462 | 54% | 100% | 8 to 1 |
| 84 | Interior Designers Institute Newport Beach, CA | $18,250 | 192 | - | 27% | 14 to 1 |
| 86 | Helms College Macon, GA | $14,117 | 304 | 79% | 61% | 15 to 1 |
| 90 | Hussian College-Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | $21,990 | 81 | 70% | 100% | 8 to 1 |
| 92 | Culinary Institute Inc Houston, TX | $16,440 | 339 | 74% | 51% | 8 to 1 |
| 93 | Montserrat College of Art Beverly, MA | $34,350 | 367 | 58% | 100% | 12 to 1 |
| 94 | Jna Institute of Culinary Arts Philadelphia, PA | $14,575 | 36 | 67% | 78% | 7 to 1 |
| 95 | Los Angeles Film School Hollywood, CA | $32,000 | 3,806 | 55% | 57% | 24 to 1 |
| 96 | Cranbrook Academy of Art Bloomfield Hills, MI | - | 130 | - | - | - |
| 97 | American Conservatory Theater San Francisco, CA | $30,456 | 46 | - | 8% | 6 to 1 |
| 98 | Cortiva Institute-Pompano Pompano Beach, FL | $10,821 | 150 | 70% | 74% | 25 to 1 |
| 99 | SAE Expression College Emeryville, CA | $25,672 | 603 | 57% | 64% | 15 to 1 |
| 100 | Longy School of Music of Bard College Cambridge, MA | $44,730 | 244 | 50% | 87% | 6 to 1 |
| 101 | Douglas Education Center Monessen, PA | $18,240 | 213 | 85% | 66% | 11 to 1 |
| 103 | New York Film Academy Burbank, CA | $31,447 | 1,389 | 69% | 58% | 7 to 1 |
| 104 | Seattle Film Institute Seattle, WA | $30,240 | 100 | 86% | 48% | 7 to 1 |
| 105 | Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service Houston, TX | $13,363 | 205 | 44% | 65% | 24 to 1 |
| 110 | Argosy University-The Art Institute of California-San Diego San Diego, CA | $18,648 | 846 | 45% | 86% | 18 to 1 |
| 111 | The Art Institute of Seattle Seattle, WA | $17,460 | 857 | 28% | 86% | 18 to 1 |
| 116 | The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | $17,532 | 431 | 31% | 96% | 9 to 1 |
| 117 | Institute of Production and Recording Minneapolis, MN | $19,656 | 203 | 63% | 72% | 14 to 1 |
| 119 | Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Austin Austin, TX | $30,260 | 506 | 87% | 68% | 23 to 1 |
| 121 | Miami International University of Art & Design-Art Institute Dallas Dallas, TX | $19,354 | 661 | 18% | 91% | 15 to 1 |
| 126 | Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design Lakewood, CO | $19,670 | 1,054 | 43% | 74% | 8 to 1 |
| 127 | AI Miami International University of Art and Design Miami, FL | $19,354 | 1,384 | 36% | 92% | 22 to 1 |
| 134 | Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service Decatur, GA | $11,700 | 200 | 96% | 71% | 35 to 1 |
| 135 | The Art Institute of Houston Houston, TX | $19,354 | 947 | 28% | 91% | 16 to 1 |
| 136 | Dallas Institute of Funeral Service Dallas, TX | $11,870 | 187 | 75% | 24% | 11 to 1 |
| 140 | Delta College of Arts & Technology Baton Rouge, LA | $28,600 | 252 | 49% | 82% | 15 to 1 |
| 143 | L'Ecole Culinaire-St Louis St. Louis, MO | $13,310 | 130 | - | - | 14 to 1 |
| 149 | L'Ecole Culinaire-Memphis Cordova, TN | $13,745 | 272 | - | - | 25 to 1 |
| 151 | L'Ecole Culinaire-Kansas City Kansas City, MO | $14,225 | 124 | - | - | 22 to 1 |
| 152 | The Art Institute of Austin Austin, TX | $19,354 | 546 | 25% | 94% | 17 to 1 |
| 155 | The Art Institute of Las Vegas Henderson, NV | $17,316 | 592 | - | 84% | 15 to 1 |
| 156 | The Art Institute of Atlanta Atlanta, GA | $19,354 | 1,246 | 23% | 93% | 23 to 1 |
| 157 | American Film Institute Conservatory Los Angeles, CA | $55,964 | 339 | - | - | - |
| 159 | Broadview Entertainment Arts University Salt Lake City, UT | $14,850 | 85 | 23% | 82% | 8 to 1 |
| 160 | International College of Broadcasting Dayton, OH | $14,660 | 54 | 56% | 91% | 8 to 1 |
| 162 | Sotheby's Institute of Art-NY New York, NY | $46,599 | 205 | - | - | - |
| 163 | American Academy of Art Chicago, IL | $35,270 | 242 | 53% | 70% | 9 to 1 |
| 164 | Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre Blue Lake, CA | $13,400 | 30 | 100% | 25% | 4 to 1 |
| 165 | Platt College-San Diego San Diego, CA | $17,235 | 145 | 73% | 60% | 12 to 1 |
| 166 | Christie's Education New York, NY | - | 87 | - | - | - |
| 167 | FINE Mortuary College Norwood, MA | $20,520 | 101 | 100% | 45% | 9 to 1 |
| 168 | Columbia College Centreville, VA | $9,940 | 144 | 64% | 74% | 11 to 1 |
| 169 | Worsham College of Mortuary Science Wheeling, IL | $21,800 | 95 | - | 64% | 16 to 1 |
| 170 | New York Academy of Art New York, NY | $38,575 | 125 | - | - | - |
| 171 | Conway School of Landscape Design Northampton, MA | - | 14 | - | - | - |
| 172 | Sessions College for Professional Design Tempe, AZ | $9,060 | 160 | 60% | 57% | 8 to 1 |
| 173 | Northwest College of Art & Design Tacoma, WA | $18,100 | 85 | 52% | 78% | 21 to 1 |
| 175 | American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service New York, NY | $17,775 | 440 | 25% | 49% | 22 to 1 |
| 177 | School of Architecture at Taliesin Scottsdale, AZ | $37,949 | 19 | - | - | - |
| 178 | Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art Van Nuys, CA | $31,568 | 14 | 60% | 29% | 14 to 1 |
| Average | $32,958 | 961 | 63% | 75% | 9 to 1 |
