Texas has long been home to some of the country’s most renowned artists.Since the first Pre-Columbian peoples shaped intricately beautiful pottery and jewelry to today’s hottest pop stars and actors, this region has a deeply ingrained appreciation for art in all its forms.
What Art Careers Are Available In Texas?
Creative art professionals can find work in virtually all fields across the state. The Texas Commission on the Arts curates a listing of open art jobs, as well as resources for pursuing art as a career. Available resources include guides for studio art, theatre, music, dance, and art for people with disabilities.
Top 5 Art Colleges in Texas
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Tech University | Lubbock, Texas |
| 2 | Sam Houston State University | Huntsville, Texas |
| 3 | University of Texas at Permian Basin | Odessa, Texas |
| 4 | Texas State University | San Marcos, Texas |
| 5 | University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley | Edinburg, Texas |
How Much Does An Art Degree Cost In Texas?
This all depends on the type of degree. For the purposes of our article, we researched bachelors programs, which typically take 4 years to complete when attending full-time fall and spring semesters. The average tuition per semester for the schools on our list is about $4,889. This calculation does not include other costs such as housing, materials, or personal expenses.
You could earn your arts degree online. Our degree finding tools and guides can help you discover an online program that fits your needs.
What Are The Best Art Colleges In Texas?
We gathered together a list of public universities from across the state and ranked them. Our rating factors covered stats we feel are universally important to students, such as tuition cost, class size, and rates of graduation. Check out our list below!.
Best 20 Art Colleges in Texas
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University offers undergrad art courses through the J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts. The school features art history degrees, graphic design, studio art, art education, music, and theatre and dance. Students are also given research opportunities in their selected major. TTU has an undergrad graduation rate of 61%.
School Overview
Sam Houston State University
Sam Houston State University’s College of Arts and Media offers several degree-granting departments including art, dance, mass communication, music, and theatre and musical theatre. SHSU’s undergrad graduation rate is 54%.
School Overview
University of Texas at Permian Basin
The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Texas at Permian Basin offers courses of study to students in the Midland-Odessa region. While the school has a small range of programs on the list, they still offer bachelor’s degrees in art and music, with minors in subjects like drama, art history, and graphic art. UTPB has a high admittance rate and a graduation rate of 40%.
School Overview
Texas State University
The Visual and Performing Arts department at Texas State University features traditional programs including art, dance, music, theatre, and photography. Digital studies include communication design, digital media innovation, and sound recording technology. There is also an interior design program. TSU has a graduation rate of 54%.
School Overview
University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley
The College of Fine Arts at University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre and the National Association of Schools of Music. They also offer a school of art and a school of creative writing. UTRGV has an undergrad graduation rate of 46%.
School Overview
Tarleton University
Tarleton University’s College of Liberal & Fine Arts features select studies in the arts. In the fine arts department students can study music, theatre, visual arts, and digital media. A spotlight club is the ULTRA Club, which provides trips, visits from guest artists, and scholarships for fine arts students. Tarleton has a 49% graduation rate and the lowest semesterly tuition on our list.
School Overview
Angelo State University
The Department of Visual and Performing Arts at Angelo State University offers bachelor degree programs in studio art, theatre, and music. The department has recently started awarding scholarships through a student juried art exhibit competition. ASU has a graduation rate of 40%.
School Overview
Midwestern State University
Students at Midwestern State University can study art, mass communication, music, and theatre. The school is home to the nationally-recognized Juanita Harvey Art Gallery and a Kodály Training Program for musicianship. Midwestern State University has an undergrad graduation rate of 45%.
School Overview
Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Texas A&M Corpus Christi features areas of study in visual and performing arts under its College of Liberal Arts. Possible majors include art & design, media arts, graphic design, music, and theatre & dance. The undergrad graduation rate at Texas A&M Corpus Christi is 37%.
School Overview
Texas A&M University: Commerce
The Texas A&M University campus at Commerce offers arts courses through its College of Humanities, Social Sciences & Arts. Degree-granting departments in the college include art, theatre, and music. Art students can earn a bachelor’s degree in art history, studio art, photography, and visual communication. TAMUC has a 43% graduation rate.
School Overview
Lamar University
Lamar University’s Department of Fine Arts and Communication hosts visual and performing arts departments including Art & Design, Communication & Media, Music, and Theatre & Dance. The school is home to the Dishman Art Museum. The graduation rate at Lamar University is 34%.
School Overview
University of North Texas
At the College of Visual Arts and Design at the University of North Texas, students can choose from degree-granting programs such as art education and history, fashion design, interior design, communication design, and the studio arts. The University of North Texas has an undergrad graduation rate of 56%.
School Overview
Texas Woman’s University
The School of the Arts at Texas Woman’s University offers courses of study across the disciplines of dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts. Highlight programs include the music therapy degree, which is the oldest and one of only 5 in the state. The student body is co-educational, but still primarily for women. Texas Woman’s University has a graduation rate of 43%.
School Overview
West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University features arts classes through the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities. Undergrads can pursue degrees in studio art, graphic design, music, theatre, and dance. West Texas A&M University’s undergrad graduation rate is 45%.
School Overview
Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University’s College of Fine Arts provides classes across art, music, and theatre. Art areas of study encompass history, education, studio arts, photography, filmmaking degree, digital media, and graphic design. The department also hosts the Children’s Performing Arts Series which puts on shows for visiting schools and youth organizations. The graduation rate for SFASU is 52%
School Overview
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin offers fine arts classes under departments such as Art & Art History, Music, Theatre & Dance, and Design & Creative Technologies. The school also features the Center for Creative Entrepreneurship, which teaches fine arts students sustainable business skills. At 86%, UTA has the highest graduation rate on our list.
School Overview
University of Texas at Arlington
The College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Arlington offers courses of study in the visual and performing arts. Degree-granting departments within the college consist of Art & Art History, Music, and Theatre Arts. The University of Texas at Arlington has an undergrad graduation rate of 51%.
School Overview
University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas features many majors to choose from, encompassing fields like communication, visual art, theatre, dance, music, film, art history, and interdisciplinary arts. The University of Texas at Dallas has a 70% graduation rate.
School Overview
University of Houston
The Katherine G. McGovern College of the Arts at the University of Houston offers bachelor’s degrees in art, music, theatre, and dance. They also engage in interdisciplinary initiatives which engages students from different departments across the school and with people in the community. The University of Houston has a 61% graduation rate.
School Overview
University of Texas at San Antonio
The University of Texas at San Antonio features visual and performing arts classes through the College of Liberal and Fine Arts. Students may find degree programs through the departments of Art & Art History, Communication, and Music. The undergrad graduation rate at UTSA is 42%.
School Overview
Interested in pursuing an art degree online? Get started with our degree-finding tools!
Our Ranking Methodology
We searched for public universities that offer visual and performing arts degrees within the state of Texas. Then we ranked them across four different categories: in-state tuition (40%), student-faculty ratio (20%), graduation rate (20%), and admission rate (20%). Tuition cost was obtained directly from each school’s website and did not include variable factors such as housing or personal expense costs. Other data was acquired through the National Center for Educational Statistics.
We sorted each school by category and assigned points to each. The highest points per-category was 20. The highest possible points overall were 100.
If you are an employee of one of the schools listed above and notice an error with our data, please contact us to make a correction.
