Best colleges for art and design
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in art or design, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for art and design1,187 schools
1,187 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in art or design, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor Roll#1 in New Jersey
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A+ · Top 1%
- 2
Stanford University
Stanford, CA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A+ · Top 1%
- 3
Rice University
Houston, TX · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A+ · Top 1%
- 4
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Maryland
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 5Tie
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 5Tie
Williams College
Williamstown, MA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A+ · Top 3%
- 7
Yale University
New Haven, CT · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor Roll#1 in Connecticut
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 8%
- 8Tie
Brown University
Providence, RI · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor Roll#1 in Rhode Island
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 9%
- 8Tie
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 4%
- 10
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 7%
- 11
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Tennessee
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 12
Pomona College
Claremont, CA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A+ · Top 3%
- 13
Duke University
Durham, NC · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in North Carolina
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 23%
- 14Tie
Amherst College
Amherst, MA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 8%
- 14Tie
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 22%
- 16
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor Roll#2 in New York
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 22%
- 17
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor RollTop 1% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 27%
- 18
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 27%
- 19
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, MI · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Michigan
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- 20
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Missouri
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A- · Top 11%
- 21
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Maine
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A+ · Top 3%
- 22
Haverford College
Haverford, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A- · Top 13%
- 23Tie
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor RollTop 2% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A- · Top 19%
- 23Tie
Davidson College
Davidson, NC · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 5%
- 25
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor Roll#1 in New Hampshire
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 34%
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton University | $6,128 | $10,320 | $110,066 | 98% |
| Stanford University | $13,807 | $12,000 | $124,080 | 92% |
| Rice University | $13,370 | $11,000 | $89,718 | 95% |
| Johns Hopkins University | $18,809 | $10,250 | $87,555 | 94% |
| University of Chicago | $14,860 | $15,000 | $91,885 | 96% |
| Williams College | $17,716 | $12,761 | $88,665 | 94% |
| Yale University | $23,777 | $12,975 | $100,533 | 96% |
| Brown University | $25,184 | $11,428 | $93,487 | 96% |
| Harvard University | $19,066 | $14,000 | $101,817 | 98% |
| Wellesley College | $25,496 | $10,000 | $84,803 | 92% |
| Vanderbilt University | $15,846 | $14,000 | $91,565 | 94% |
| Pomona College | $19,285 | $11,782 | $77,779 | 93% |
| Duke University | $29,612 | $13,000 | $97,800 | 97% |
| Amherst College | $23,367 | $13,740 | $77,644 | 94% |
| Claremont McKenna College | $28,849 | $13,500 | $104,736 | 91% |
| Cornell University | $28,690 | $14,000 | $104,043 | 95% |
| University of Pennsylvania | $28,699 | $15,715 | $111,371 | 97% |
| Northwestern University | $29,167 | $15,000 | $89,363 | 95% |
| Hillsdale College | — | — | — | 90% |
| Washington University in St. Louis | $21,786 | $17,500 | $86,182 | 94% |
| Bowdoin College | $14,398 | $18,500 | $82,735 | 95% |
| Haverford College | $25,314 | $13,621 | $79,966 | 90% |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | $21,590 | $21,500 | $102,491 | 96% |
| Davidson College | $17,379 | $18,688 | $81,400 | 91% |
| Dartmouth College | $29,519 | $17,500 | $97,434 | 96% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
By state
- Alabama 19
- Alaska 3
- Arizona 8
- Arkansas 17
- California 75
- Colorado 15
- Connecticut 21
- Delaware 3
- District of Columbia 7
- Florida 29
- Georgia 32
- Hawaii 5
- Idaho 6
- Illinois 47
- Indiana 36
- Iowa 24
- Kansas 21
- Kentucky 22
- Louisiana 16
- Maine 13
- Maryland 20
- Massachusetts 44
- Michigan 30
- Minnesota 30
- Mississippi 7
- Missouri 32
- Montana 7
- Nebraska 15
- Nevada 4
- New Hampshire 8
- New Jersey 26
- New Mexico 6
- New York 85
- North Carolina 39
- North Dakota 5
- Ohio 59
- Oklahoma 15
- Oregon 14
- Pennsylvania 74
- Puerto Rico 17
- Rhode Island 9
- South Carolina 25
- South Dakota 9
- Tennessee 27
- Texas 54
- Utah 8
- Vermont 8
- Virginia 33
- Washington 16
- West Virginia 11
- Wisconsin 29