Top Colleges for Art History Programs

Choosing the right college for an art history program is a crucial decision for aspiring art historians. This article presents a curated list of top undergraduate art schools in the United States, considering factors such as tuition costs, the range of majors, endowments, post-graduation employment rates, diversity and inclusion levels, student-faculty ratios, standards of living, school reputation, the surrounding art community, and affiliated museums. These rankings aim to assist students in navigating the complex application and admission process, preparing them for a successful academic journey.

Comprehensive Ranking Criteria

Several criteria were used to compile this ranking of top art schools. These include:

Tuition Costs: Balancing quality education with affordability.
Range of Majors: Offering a variety of specializations within art and design.
Endowments: Providing financial stability and resources for students.
Post-Graduation Employment Rates: Ensuring career readiness and opportunities.
Diversity and Inclusion Levels: Fostering an inclusive and equitable learning environment.
Student-Faculty Ratios: Promoting personalized attention and mentorship.
Standards of Living: Considering the quality of life in the surrounding areas.
School Reputation: Recognizing institutions with a strong legacy and recognition.
Surrounding Art Community: Integrating students into a vibrant artistic environment.
Affiliated Museums: Providing access to world-class art collections and resources.

Featured Art History Programs

1. Washington University in St. Louis - Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts

Located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, home of the Gateway Arch, Washington University’s Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts offers BFA and BA programs. Majors include Art-with optional concentrations in Painting, Photography, and Printmaking-Communication Design, and Fashion Design. Tuition is $68,240. Situated in the Grand Center Arts District, Sam Fox School students have access to an innovative local art community. Heralded as the most exciting emerging arts district in America by Forbes, Grand Center hosts over 1,500 cultural events annually and has 12 museums and galleries-including the Contemporary Art Museum, The Griot Black History Museum, and the St. Louis Art Museum. WashU offers competitive financial support packages and strives to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need, with a no-loan policy for most families earning under $125,000. The WashU Pledge gives full rides to qualifying Missouri and Illinois students, while the $13.2 billion endowment supports merit scholarships and an opportunity fund. Washington University in St. Louis is a popular choice for those seeking a comprehensive art education within a thriving urban environment. At Washington University in St Louis, the most popular majors students study are Computer Science, Experimental Psychology, and Mechanical Engineering.

2. University of Texas at Austin - College of Fine Arts

The University of Texas at Austin College of Fine Arts is the largest school on our list, with 43,165 undergraduates enrolled at UT-Austin as a whole, but there are only 1,736 undergraduates enrolled at the College, making the faculty-to-student ratio significantly smaller than the university at large. While the greater university has a student-faculty ratio of 18:1, there are nine faculty members for every art student. The College offers BAs and BFAs in Art Education, Art History, Design, and Studio Art. There is also a fine arts-focused career services office embedded in the college to help students be career ready, whether that's in the arts or beyond. Surrounded by the vibrant arts and culture of Austin, with its strong indie music scene, diverse eateries, and access to multiple art museums and galleries-including the Blanton Art Museum, the Mexic-Arte Museum, and Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum-students will find plenty of inspiration. In-state tuition is $11,630, while out-of-state tuition is $45,374. The university’s endowment of $14 billion also supports providing financial aid to 66% of first-year students, most of which is grants and scholarships.

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Based in Pittsburgh- one of the Top 20 Most Vibrant Arts Communities in America-Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university, consisting of seven colleges. The College of Fine Arts (CFA), founded in 1905, was one of the first comprehensive arts teaching institutes in the United States. The School of Art and School of Design are separate. With only 200 undergraduates, both national and international, the School of Art is a tight-knit community, with a student-teacher ratio of 9:1, offering a BFA in Drawing, Painting, Print Media & Photography, Sculpture, Installation & Site-Work, Electronic & Time-Based Media, and Social Practice. There is a 91% graduation rate, and a post-graduation employment rate of 90%. Students are mentored by internationally recognized faculty, many of whom are Guggenheim Fellows, learning to challenge norms, cross disciplines, and experiment with new approaches-as exemplified by alumnus Andy Warhol. The campus community provides hundreds of student organizations and activities, while the city itself offers access to 50 world class museums-including the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Andy Warhol Museum, and the Frick Art Museum- over 40 public libraries, and 30 concert venues. The CFA meets 100% of every student’s financial need. Carnegie Mellon recently launched the CMU Pathway Program-meaning students from families earning less than $75,000 annually may attend CMU tuition-free. Additionally, those from families earning less than $100,000 annually may attend without the burden of federal student loans. Undergraduate tuition is $67,020, and all students who fill out the FAFSA and the CSS profile are considered for the Carnegie Mellon Undergraduate Grant.

4. Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD)

Founded in 1886, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) is a private, non-profit residential college that combines rigorous academics with hands-on studio experiences, shaping creative leaders and professional artists from across the globe. The college offers 14 majors-from Animation and Comic Art to Graphic Design and Creative Entrepreneurship. Graduate programs include an MFA in Visual Arts, as well as master's degrees in Creative Leadership, Sustainable Design, and Web and Graphic Design. MCAD’s campus includes state-of-the-art studios, a 3D shop, café, and collaborative work spaces. Undergraduate tuition is $46,464. 97% of full-time, first-year undergraduate students received assistance through scholarships and grants in the current academic year. Students may participate in MCAD’s annual Art Sale-the largest college art fair in the country. Sales support participating artists and fund MCAD student scholarships. The birthplace of musician Prince, with numerous lakes and parks, Minneapolis has a thriving arts and culture scene.

5. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCUarts)

Born from a single art class offered by Theresa Pollak in 1928, VCUarts is now an internationally recognized, highly ranked arts school. Its Visual Arts program houses the School's top-ranked departments, including the #1 ranked Sculpture + Extended Media and the #2 ranked Painting + Printmaking. As a larger school, the student-to-faculty ratio is 17:1, but first-year student retention is high, at 85%. VCUarts offers BAs, BFAs, minors, and certificates in 16 areas, including Art Education, Art History, Dance + Choreography, Fashion Design + Merchandising, Graphic Design, Kinetic Imaging, Music, Painting + Printmaking, Photography + Film, Sculpture + Extended Media, and Theatre. Tuition for in-state undergraduates is $13,520 per year, and for out-of-state undergraduates: $35,994 per year. A third of VCU students are Pell Grant recipients, and 70% of undergraduates receive some form of financial aid in the form of scholarships or grants. First Year students who apply by November 1 are automatically considered for university-level scholarships ranging from $8,000 to $16,000 per year.

6. The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Founded in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, dedicated to its founder’s idea that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony, is organized into three schools, one of which is the School of Art. Tuition is $44,550. Cooper Union meets 100% of demonstrated and determined financial need. Currently, more than half of the undergraduate students receive full-tuition coverage through scholarship and grant aid. Every undergraduate student receives a half-tuition scholarship valued at $22,275 per year, as well as need- and merit-based aid, if eligible. Cooper Union plans to be 100% tuition-free by the 2028-2029 academic year. The goal of the BFA program is to educate students in the skills, knowledge, and understanding necessary for practicing professionals in art and design-related fields. First-year students begin with the Foundation Program, which introduces core skills. After the first year, students choose a focus. BFA programs include Drawing, Audiovisual, Graphic Design, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. All students in their second, third, and fourth years, as well as exchange students, are provided with individual studio spaces. There is an 88% post-graduate employment rate. Cooper Union’s integrated curriculum combines fine arts disciplines, humanities, social sciences, sciences, and the history and theory of art, providing artists with a broad education.

7. Pratt Institute

Pratt Institute is recognized as one of the top art and design universities in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Art & Design. The listing also ranks Pratt #4 in the United States. Additionally, Pratt was ranked #10 in the History of Art category. Alumni include fashion and design icons Betsy Johnson, Jeremy Scott, and Paul Rand. Pratt offers thirteen BFA programs, with many digital arts options, including 2-D or 3-D Animation and Art + Technology, as well as Art and Design Education, Fine Arts (including Painting and Drawing and a minor in Ceramics), Communications Design, Fashion Design, and Interior Design.

8. Otis College of Art and Design

Founded in 1918, Otis College of Art and Design is the first art and design school in Los Angeles. A nonprofit institution serving BFA and MFA students, in addition to offering extension programs for adults and youth, Otis College is recognized as a leader in education and diversity and offers eight BFA programs, including Animation, Fashion Design, Fine Arts, Environmental Design, and Toy Design. Undergraduate tuition is $54,120, and 98% of first-year students receive financial aid. The average need-based package is $35,842. Otis offers merit and financial-based scholarships. Classes have a 9:1 student-faculty ratio, and graduates have an impressive 96% employment rate. Los Angeles functions as an extended campus, providing easy access to museums, galleries, and attractions, as well as great food, beaches, hiking, and excellent internship and employment opportunities.

Read also: High School Diploma Jobs

9. Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)

Tuition is $56,500. 100% of first-year students receive aid, with the average total net aid awarded being $28,435. MICA offers a number of need-based, merit-based, competitive, and private scholarship options, including the Creative Vision Award and the National Art Honor Society Scholarship. Most of these require a great portfolio exhibiting the highest level of skill, artistic voice, and resolution. All undergraduates start out with the core First Year Experience-a foundation-level exploratory art and design program-before choosing a major. MICA offers 16 BA or BFA majors in a wide variety of fields, including Animation, Art Education, Ecosystems, Sustainability & Justice, and Graphic Design, as well as Co-majors such as Game Design and Experimental Fashion, and over 30 possible minors. MICA brings in over 175 visiting artists, critics, designers, poets, writers, and art historians each year. Classes have a student-faculty ratio of 9:1, with a 90% post-graduate employment rate. Expedia also named it one of America's most artistic towns.

10. Yale School of Art

Founded in New Haven, Connecticut in 1864, the Yale School of Art is one of the oldest and most prestigious art schools in America. Department of Design chair Josef Albers-on faculty from 1950 to 1958-revolutionized how art and design are taught, with his focus on art as a process, rather than as a finished product. Yale’s acceptance rate of 6% may be intimidating, but its exceptional education, with a student to faculty ratio of 5:1, has produced many iconic contemporary artists, including alumni Chuck Close, Eva Hess, and Wangechi Mutu. The School of Art offers BAs and BFAs, as well as MFA degrees, in Graphic Design, Painting/Printmaking, Photography, and Sculpture. Undergraduate tuition is $48,500. Supported by its $41.4 billion endowment, Yale has a large number of art-based scholarships, grants, residencies, and fellowships available. The average need-based scholarship or grant awarded to first-year students at the university was $74,040. Over 80% of enrolled students received a scholarship during the 2024-2025 academic year. The Yale University Art Gallery-the oldest college art museum in America-offers students plenty of inspiration, while New Haven provides a vibrant and diverse arts scene, from world-class museums and galleries to live theater performances and outdoor arts festivals. Yale offers students seventy possible majors, which must be declared by sophomore or junior years, but students are always welcome to change.

11. School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)

SAIC also offers graduate programs in Studio, Design, and Academic fields, along with post-baccalaureate certificates and a low-residency MFA. SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries, and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world. Notable alumni include award-winning graphic novelist Emil Ferris and Amy Lawson Smeed-Head of Animation for Walt Disney Animation Studios. Undergraduate tuition is $57,240. A variety of merit and need-based scholarships and grants are available. UChicago has 51 academic majors available to students in five divisions: Biological Sciences Collegiate Division, the Physical Sciences Collegiate Division, the Social Sciences Collegiate Division, the Humanities Collegiate Division, and the New Collegiate Division.

12. Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

Programs include Ceramics, Architecture, Apparel Design, Digital Media, Animation, Painting, Illustration, and Metalsmithing. Alum Adam Krueger just started teaching a new Illustration course, Introduction to Tattooing, and RISD recently launched a new academic department- Computation, Technology, and Culture (CTC). Previously only a concentration (RISD’s version of a minor), the CTC department offers two new undergraduate majors: Art and Computation, and Sound. One of RISD’s unique resources is the Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab, which provides unmediated access to authentic natural history specimens while fostering creative inquiry into biodesign, ecology, and the climate crisis. The student-faculty ratio is 8:1. While tuition is higher, at $63, 966, their typical financial aid package is $32,572, supported by their $399 million endowment.

Liberal Arts Colleges with Strong Art History Programs

Art History is a great major to choose at a small school. While liberal arts schools don’t always have a laundry list of majors, most of them have an art history program. Art History programs at small schools also often come with specialization and meaningful connections between students and faculty. If you know you want to study art history and you are considering doing it at a small school, these ten schools need to be on your list to check out.

1. Williams College

Williams offers two art history majors: Art History and Art History & Studio. Many students choose to study both Art History and Art at the same time making the Art Department one of William’s most popular departments. Students in the department can use resources at the Williams College Museum of Art. They also have an honors track, awards, fellowships, residencies, and a scholars program.

2. Barnard College

The fact that Barnard is in New York City really helps their Art History program. They have impressive connections to some of the most iconic art museums and galleries in the nation. Courses are often taught at art spaces and lecturers often come from the arts scene in New York. Students at Barnard are required to write a senior research paper, but outside of that, the major is fairly flexible. They push for students to work or intern at art institutions, especially over the summer, and help students with independent projects. Some of the courses in the major are through Columbia’s Art History and Archeology Department, but many courses are also Barnard specific. Barnard is a women’s college. At Barnard College, the most popular majors students pursue are Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, Research and Experimental Psychology, Other, and Neuroscience. Columbia University is separated into 20 different schools which include the College, global research outposts, Juilliard School, Barnard College, and more.

3. Oberlin College

Oberlin’s Art History Department has students work very closely with the Allen Memorial Art Museum (AMAM). Oberlin takes a very global approach to art history and students learn about art across geographical regions. Students can take courses like Latinx Art: Past and Futures and Cultural Property? Art, Heritage, Ownership. Oberlin also encourages students to learn through internships, research, study away, winter term, career exploration, and more. Students can study art history in places like France, Ghana, and Kyoto and secure internships at places like the Cleveland Museum of Art or the Frick Collection. One of their more unique programs is their Art Rental Program which lets students take a piece of art home for a semester. At Oberlin College, the three most popular college majors students study are Music Performance, General, Psychology, General, Biology/Biological Sciences, and General.

4. Skidmore College

Skidmore offers impressive funding for Art History majors for both research and travel. They also have prizes, an honors track, and internship and volunteering opportunities. Related internships can even be used for credits in the major. They offer courses such as Ad/dressing the Body: European Fashion, Renaissance to the Present, Decolonizing the Museum: Addressing Systemic Racism and Promoting Social Justice, and many courses on Visual Culture and its connection to gender. Each year, Skidmore College awards about 101 degrees to those majoring in Business/Commerce, General, the institution’s most popular major.

5. Wellesley College

Wellesley’s Art History degree is all about visual analysis. Many students choose to double major in Art History and Studio Art. However, the department encourages this more for students interested in Studio Art as they believe knowing history is essential for creators. They also offer an Art History/Media Arts combined major. They have a senior honors thesis to interested students and also have exclusive internship opportunities at the Louvre aka the Soriano Fellowship and Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.

6. Smith College

Smith has a fairly flexible History of Art major. The major is 11 credits and many courses can be chosen by the individual. They do offer an honors track and a scholarship fund for those who need monetary assistance for their honors track. They also encourage History of Art majors to study abroad and popular programs include Paris, Berlin, Prague, and Sydney.

7. Bard College

Bard offers The Art History and Visual Culture Program. This major works closely with and is supported by the Bard Center for Curatorial Studies in Annandale-on-Hudson and with the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture in New York City. The department also organizes frequent bus trips to NYC to have students learn and explore galleries and museum spaces. These trips are also open to non-majors which is pretty great for all Bard students. Bard has students do what they call a Moderation in this major. This is a process where students must present to a board consisting of three Bard faculty members, including the student’s adviser and at least one other art historian. They also offer research and study abroad options.

8. Amherst College

The Art & the History of Art department at Amherst offers two art concentrations: History of Art and the Practice of Art. The major is 10 courses (12 if you want honors) and many students choose to double major with another field. Students in this major must complete a comprehensive assessment by participating in an undergraduate student conference in their senior year. They also encourage students to study abroad.

9. Bryn Mawr College

History of Art at Bryn Mawr offers both an undergrad option as well as an A.B./M.A. in History of Art for students who hope to get their Masters in 4-5 years. Outside of Art History, Bryn Mawr also has Museum Studies and Film minors which are popular with History of Art Students. They offer courses like Topics in Modern Art: Identity in Film & Video Art, Topics in Chinese Art: Chinese Calligraphy, and The History of London Since the Eighteenth Century. Students can also get credit for Supervised work and research. All students must complete a senior thesis and there is also an honors track. At Bryn Mawr College, the most popular majors students study are Biology/Biological Sciences, General, Psychology, General, English Language and Literature, and General.

10. Pomona College

Pomona students take courses with art historians at Scripps College, in the Art Field Group, and the Classics Field Group at Pitzer College. Pomona takes a super interdisciplinary approach to the Art History major and the major is supported by the Pomona College Museum of Art. They also have great connections with many prominent art museums around the LA area. Uniquely, Pomona does make majors take one studio art course (don’t worry, there are a lot of options and you don’t need to be the next Da Vinci.) They also offer wonderful undergrad research opportunities. Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, Computer Science, Political Science and Government, General, Neuroscience, and Molecular Biology are the top choices for majors at Pomona College.

Additional Considerations

Royal College of Art: Recognized as a top specialist institution for art history degrees.
QS World University Rankings: Provides comprehensive rankings based on data submissions.
Interdisciplinary Approach: Liberal arts schools often have strong humanities programs and Art History is a perfect subject to show the strengths of a liberal arts education. Art History students learn to write, think, and analyze. These skills aren’t just important in the arts but in all of the humanities and in other fields.

tags: #best #colleges #for #art #history #programs