2026 U.S. News Fine Arts (Graduate) Rankings
184 schools · Source: U.S. News 2026 (published 2026) · Admission and tuition figures are school-wide undergraduate data. Acceptance rate for fall 2025, international tuition for 2025 (IPEDS)
Showing the top 100 of 184
-
1
↑ 1
Yale University
Connecticut
Admit 3.9% $67,250 24.3% international -
=2
↑ 5
Carnegie Mellon University
Pennsylvania
Admit 11.7% $65,636 42.0% international -
=2
↑ 3
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island
Admit 18.7% $62,688 36.7% international -
=2
↓ 1
University of California-Los Angeles
California
Admit 9.0% $46,121 13.4% international -
=2
↑ 2
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia
Admit 92.6% $39,884 4.1% international -
6
↓ 4
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Illinois
Admit 77.5% $54,623 29.1% international -
7
↓ 2
California Institute of the Arts
California
Admit 32.3% $58,996 30.3% international -
=8
↑ 15
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Jersey
Admit 58.1% $37,441 10.1% international -
=8
↑ 24
Stanford University
California
Admit 3.6% $65,910 25.7% international -
=8
↑ 2
University of California-San Diego
California
Admit 26.7% $47,676 18.1% international -
=11
↓ 1
Alfred University
New York
Admit 73.8% $38,138 7.6% international -
=11
↑ 4
Cranbrook Academy of Art
Michigan
23.0% international -
=11
↓ 3
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Michigan
Admit 15.6% $63,081 16.4% international -
=14
↑ 9
CUNY Hunter College
New York
Admit 53.8% $15,332 4.3% international -
=14
↑ 28
New York University
New York
Admit 9.2% $62,796 33.8% international -
=14
↑ 9
School of Visual Arts
New York
Admit 92.6% $51,400 50.5% international -
=14
↑ 18
Temple University
Pennsylvania
Admit 80.4% $38,805 6.8% international -
=14
↑ 1
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Wisconsin
Admit 45.2% $42,103 15.6% international -
=14
↑ 9
Washington University in St Louis
Missouri
Admit 12.1% $65,790 27.6% international -
=20
↓ 5
Art Center College of Design
California
Admit 74.5% $54,170 47.2% international -
=20
↓ 10
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York
Admit 4.0% $70,517 39.3% international -
=20
↓ 12
Maryland Institute College of Art
Maryland
Admit 76.8% $56,800 19.9% international -
=20
↓ 5
Pratt Institute-Main
New York
Admit 73.3% $61,845 32.4% international -
=20
↓ 5
The New School
New York
Admit 63.5% $58,730 38.1% international -
=20
↑ 33
Tufts University
Massachusetts
Admit 11.5% $70,704 14.7% international -
=20
↓ 5
University of California-Berkeley
California
Admit 11.0% $47,265 15.8% international -
=20
↑ 22
University of California-Irvine
California
Admit 28.6% $46,640 15.7% international -
=28
↓ 18
Bard College
New York
Admit 52.1% $66,436 17.3% international -
=28
New
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Massachusetts
Admit 76.3% $43,400 4.6% international -
=28
↑ 14
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Tennessee
Admit 41.6% $33,256 3.7% international -
=28
↓ 13
University of California-Davis
California
Admit 41.8% $47,692 14.9% international -
=28
↑ 25
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Illinois
Admit 42.4% $40,096 22.5% international -
=28
↑ 36
University of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Admit 5.4% $68,686 23.7% international -
=34
↓ 19
Arizona State University-Tempe
Arizona
Admit 89.9% $33,139 15.7% international -
=34
↑ 39
College for Creative Studies
Michigan
Admit 91.9% $53,350 9.1% international -
=34
↑ 19
Cornell University
New York
Admit 8.8% $69,314 25.9% international -
=34
New
Fashion Institute of Technology
New York
Admit 60.2% $22,696 12.6% international -
=34
↑ 39
Northwestern University
Illinois
Admit 7.7% $68,322 22.0% international -
=34
↓ 2
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Ohio
Admit 60.6% $40,022 10.2% international -
=34
↓ 2
Otis College of Art and Design
California
Admit 81.8% $56,488 18.8% international -
=34
↓ 11
The University of Texas at Austin
Texas
Admit 26.6% $44,908 9.7% international -
=34
↑ 8
University of Chicago
Illinois
Admit 4.5% $69,324 32.1% international -
=34
↓ 2
University of Georgia
Georgia
Admit 37.7% $31,688 5.7% international -
=34
↓ 11
University of Iowa
Iowa
Admit 83.6% $33,371 4.7% international -
=34
↑ 30
University of New Mexico-Main Campus
New Mexico
Admit 95.2% $33,060 4.9% international -
=34
↑ 19
University of Oregon
Oregon
Admit 88.3% $42,516 3.4% international -
=34
↑ 19
University of Southern California
California
Admit 9.8% $71,647 26.6% international -
=34
↓ 2
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Washington
Admit 39.1% $43,209 14.0% international -
=49
↓ 39
California College of the Arts
California
Admit 91.1% $60,226 35.0% international -
=49
↓ 17
Indiana University-Bloomington
Indiana
Admit 78.2% $41,891 10.3% international -
=49
New
Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis
Indiana
Admit 76.4% $34,891 6.2% international -
=49
↑ 4
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Minnesota
Admit 48.5% $45,484 3.9% international -
=49
↓ 26
Rochester Institute of Technology
New York
Admit 66.9% $59,210 10.9% international -
=54
↑ 45
California State University--Long Beach
California
Admit 46.3% $19,974 3.6% international -
=54
↑ 56
Kent State University at Kent
Ohio
Admit 86.3% $21,575 8.2% international -
=54
↓ 1
Michigan State University
Michigan
Admit 84.8% $44,850 8.5% international -
=54
↑ 35
San Diego State University
California
Admit 36.2% $21,328 3.3% international -
=54
↑ 81
Tulane University of Louisiana
Louisiana
Admit 14.0% $68,678 9.8% international -
=54
↓ 31
University of Colorado Boulder
Colorado
Admit 78.1% $42,970 6.4% international -
=54
↑ 81
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
Massachusetts
Admit 90.6% $32,567 11.1% international -
=54
↑ 19
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
North Carolina
Admit 15.3% $41,203 8.0% international -
=62
↓ 9
California State University-Los Angeles
California
Admit 91.3% $19,764 2.0% international -
=62
↑ 48
Columbus College of Art & Design
Ohio
Admit 67.7% $40,825 0.4% international -
=62
New
Duke University
North Carolina
Admit 5.7% $68,758 25.8% international -
=62
↓ 20
Florida State University
Florida
Admit 24.2% $21,683 5.5% international -
=62
↓ 9
Howard University
D.C.
Admit 41.3% $35,810 4.4% international -
=62
New
Northeastern University
Massachusetts
Admit 5.2% $66,162 35.4% international -
=62
↓ 30
Ohio University-Main Campus
Ohio
Admit 85.0% $24,838 4.2% international -
=62
↑ 11
State University of New York at New Paltz
New York
Admit 61.6% $18,822 1.5% international -
=62
↓ 9
Syracuse University
New York
Admit 45.9% $65,528 15.1% international -
=62
↑ 2
The Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania
Admit 60.6% $41,790 14.9% international -
=62
↑ 2
University of California-Santa Cruz
California
Admit 65.8% $46,923 6.0% international -
=62
↑ 2
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minnesota
Admit 79.7% $38,362 9.5% international -
=62
↑ 37
University of Notre Dame
Indiana
Admit 11.3% $65,025 13.9% international -
=75
↓ 43
Boston University
Massachusetts
Admit 11.1% $68,102 26.3% international -
=75
↓ 33
Claremont Graduate University
California
20.7% international -
=75
↑ 35
Clemson University
South Carolina
Admit 38.3% $40,866 5.8% international -
=75
↑ 24
Iowa State University
Iowa
Admit 88.7% $28,881 9.5% international -
=75
↓ 2
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Louisiana
Admit 73.3% $28,631 4.2% international -
=75
↓ 2
SUNY at Purchase College
New York
Admit 74.0% $19,266 2.2% international -
=75
↑ 24
The University of Montana
Montana
Admit 95.9% $33,671 1.7% international -
=75
↑ 49
University of Arkansas
Arkansas
Admit 74.3% $29,966 3.6% international -
=75
↓ 33
University of California-Santa Barbara
California
Admit 33.0% $47,332 11.9% international -
=75
↓ 33
University of Illinois at Chicago
Illinois
Admit 77.4% $32,009 12.4% international -
=75
↓ 2
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Nebraska
Admit 87.5% $28,584 6.8% international -
=75
↓ 33
University of North Texas
Texas
Admit 72.2% $21,149 16.6% international -
=87
↓ 23
CUNY--City College
New York
Admit 60.0% $15,290 5.6% international -
=87
↓ 14
George Washington University
D.C.
Admit 47.1% $67,710 14.5% international -
=87
↑ 2
Maine College of Art & Design
Maine
Admit 76.1% $42,942 0.0% international -
=87
↓ 23
University of Kansas
Kansas
Admit 93.5% $30,432 6.4% international -
=87
↑ 48
University of Nevada--Las Vegas
Nevada
Admit 96.2% $27,411 3.1% international -
=92
↑ 7
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Colorado
Admit 88.5% $35,061 5.6% international -
=92
↓ 19
CUNY Brooklyn College
New York
Admit 58.4% $15,402 3.3% international -
=92
↑ 18
East Carolina University
North Carolina
Admit 89.2% $23,638 1.1% international -
=92
↓ 3
Illinois State University
Illinois
Admit 88.2% $26,058 2.8% international -
=92
↑ 66
Miami University-Oxford
Ohio
Admit 75.4% $38,965 3.8% international -
=92
↑ 32
Moore College of Art and Design
Pennsylvania
Admit 56.5% $52,674 0.0% international -
New York Academy of Art New York
=92
↑ 32
37.7% international -
=92
↑ 18
Purdue University-Main Campus
Indiana
Admit 49.9% $28,794 17.0% international -
=92
↑ 18
San Jose State University
California
Admit 84.6% $21,010 7.3% international
U.S. News Best Fine Arts Programs: Methodology
The U.S. News graduate fine arts rankings assess Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs, with separate rankings for specialties such as graphic design, painting, photography and sculpture. The survey goes to deans and department chairs of art schools.
Methodology
These rankings rely only on peer assessment. U.S. News surveys the heads of relevant schools or departments (deans, department chairs, directors of graduate studies) and asks them to rate peer programs on a 1–5 scale; a program's score is the average. Specialty ranks come from nominations: respondents name top programs in each specialty, and programs nominated often enough are ranked.
Peer-assessment graduate rankings are not resurveyed every year; U.S. News usually updates them every few years, so the latest edition of some fields is a year or two older than others.
How to use this ranking
- In the arts, faculty mentors and your portfolio matter a great deal; the ranking is only one reference.
- Peer assessment reflects academic reputation, mostly research and faculty standing, not courses, employment or tuition.
- The acceptance rate, tuition and international share on this page are the school's undergraduate figures (IPEDS), shown only as a picture of the school as a whole; they do not describe the graduate program.
Sources
- PR Newswire: U.S. News Unveils 2026 Best Graduate Schools
- U.S. News: How U.S. News Calculated the 2026 Best Graduate Schools Rankings
Compiled by Forward Pathway, updated 2026-11-04