best graduate schools

Fine Arts (Master of Fine Arts)
(Ranked in 1997*)


Rank/School Average
reputation score
(5 = highest)
1. School of the Art Institute of Chicago 4.5
2. Rhode Island School of Design 4.4
   Yale University (CT) 4.4
4. Cranbrook Academy of Art (MI) 4.3
5. Alfred University (NY) 4.1
6. California Institute of the Arts 3.9
   Carnegie Mellon University (PA) 3.9
   Indiana University Bloomington 3.9
   University of Iowa 3.9
10. Art Center College of Design (CA) 3.8
   California College of Arts and Crafts 3.8
   Maryland Institute College of Art 3.8
   San Francisco Art Institute 3.8
   School of Visual Arts (NY) 3.8
   Temple University (PA) 3.8
   University of California Davis 3.8
   University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 3.8
   University of Texas Austin 3.8
19. Claremont Graduate School (CA) 3.7
   Pratt Institute (NY) 3.7
   Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) 3.7
   University of California Los Angeles 3.7
   University of New Mexico 3.7
   University of Wisconsin Madison 3.7
   Virginia Commonwealth University 3.7
26. Syracuse University (NY) 3.6
   University of Michigan Ann Arbor 3.6
   Washington University in St. Louis 3.6
29. Massachusetts College of Art 3.5
   Ohio State University 3.5
   Otis College of Art & Design (CA) 3.5
   Rutgers New Brunswick (NJ) 3.5
   University of California Berkeley 3.5
   University of the Arts (PA) 3.5
35. Bard College (NY) 3.4
   CUNY Hunter College 3.4
   New School for Social Research Parsons (NY) 3.4
   School of the Museum of Fine Arts (MA) 3.4
   Southern Illinois University Carbondale 3.4
   Stanford University (CA) 3.4
   University of California–San Diego 3.4
   University of Georgia 3.4
   University of Kansas 3.4
   University of North Carolina Chapel Hill 3.4
45. Arizona State University 3.3
   Cornell University (NY) 3.3
   Mills College (CA) 3.3
   Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts 3.3
   Penn State University University Park 3.3
   SUNY Purchase 3.3
   University of Arizona 3.3
   University of California Irvine 3.3
   University of Colorado Boulder 3.3
   University of Florida 3.3
55. California State University Long Beach 3.2
   Florida State University 3.2
   Ohio University 3.2
   San Diego State University 3.2
   San Jose State University (CA) 3.2
   SUNY Stony Brook 3.2
   University of California Santa Barbara 3.2
   University of Illinois Chicago 3.2
   University of Massachusetts Amherst 3.2
   University of Minnesota Twin Cities 3.2
   University of Pennsylvania 3.2
   University of Tennessee Knoxville 3.2
67. Boston University 3.1
   CUNY Queens 3.1
   San Francisco State University 3.1
   SUNY New Paltz 3.1
   Tufts University (MA) 3.1
   University of Chicago 3.1
   University of Cincinnati 3.1
   University of North Texas 3.1
   University of South Florida 3.1
   University of Southern California 3.1
   University of Texas San Antonio 3.1
   University of Wisconsin Milwaukee 3.1
   Washington State University 3.1
80. California State University Los Angeles 3.0
   CUNY Brooklyn College 3.0
   CUNY City College 3.0
   Louisiana State University and A&M College 3.0
   Northwestern University (IL) 3.0
   Southern Methodist University (TX) 3.0
   SUNY Buffalo 3.0
   University of Maryland College Park 3.0
   University of Oregon 3.0
89. Bennington College (VT) 2.9
   Illinois State University 2.9
   Kent State University (OH) 2.9
   Michigan State University 2.9
   Northern Illinois University 2.9
   Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY) 2.9
   SUNY Albany 2.9
   University of Delaware 2.9
   University of Hawaii Manoa 2.9
   University of Nebraska Lincoln 2.9
   University of Utah 2.9
   Wayne State University (MI) 2.9

*This ranking was computed in January of the year cited, based on data from a survey sent out in the fall of the previous year.