The 2024 edition of Art & Object’s annual art school ranking features heavy institutional hitters such as Yale University and Savannah College of Art and Design but also includes some, perhaps, lesser known but still fantastic, art program gems such as the Roski School of Art and Design at the University of Southern California or the Maryland Institute College of Art. From small schools to large ones, from schools that offer ten majors to others that offer one hundred, for those that provide substantial grant and scholarship packages to those located in big city settings, we’ve explored all types of art schools and highlighted those we think are worth considering when you begin to fill out your college applications.
To determine our national list of undergraduate art programs in the United States, Art & Object gathered statistics reported to Art & Object from the school’s administration combined with the most up-to-date data (from the most recent school year available, 2022) collected from College Navigator (a website from the National Center of Education Statistics), which all schools are required to report to annually. The data we collected includes degree and curriculum variety, overall tuition cost and average grant aid offered as well as available scholarships, acceptance rate, graduation and retention rates, post-graduation employment rate, school endowment size, enrollment numbers, student body diversity, alumni, as well as location, surrounding art scene, and cultural opportunities. Some of these elements are intangibles that convey something about the quality of the experience but are more subjective or variable, such as location and cost of living.
Each factor was given a certain weight, with factors such as degrees offered and tuition given the most weight, and other factors, such as student-to-faculty ratios and school museums given lesser weight. In some cases, the judgment was nuanced: for tuition for example, we evaluated just the cost of tuition rather than considering the full cost of attendance (which would include housing costs, food, transportation, etc.). In this case, we have outlined our reasoning in our descriptions of the schools in the list. In some instances that are noted, the scores were tied. In these cases, we used the subjective factors, such as considering the cost of living, location, or school endowment size to break the tie.
While the editorial staff at Art & Object strived to create this list in the most objective manner as possible, we want to recognize that many of these measures of “best” are often subjective and could include other factors. We are open to suggestions for future lists and feel that it is important to hear what prospective students look for when considering art programs. With that said, we are pleased to present our 2024 list of the Fifteen Best Art Schools in the U.S.
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