Pennsylvania · Visual and Performing Arts

Best colleges for Visual and Performing Arts in Pennsylvania

Ranked by graduate earnings

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Moore College of Art and Design and East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania award the most Visual and Performing Arts degrees in Pennsylvania: 51, 45 and 19 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 21 Pennsylvania colleges offer Visual and Performing Arts and award 225 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Visual and Performing Arts program offers a comprehensive exploration of artistic expression through various mediums. This program is designed for students who are passionate about creativity and wish to develop their skills in both…

Institutions
21
offering CIP 50.01
States offered
47
with a program page
Degrees / yr
225
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$25,702
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
6
College Scorecard
Median net price
$22,055
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
55%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Graphic Designers
$66,620
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 5 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Moore College of Art and Design
Philadelphia Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$27,1074557%$43,204—
2Drexel University
Philadelphia Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree Small program
$51,248478%$36,004$27,000
3Pennsylvania State University
University Park Public · Bachelor's degree Small program
$25,7021586%—$24,638
4East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg Public · Bachelor's degree Small program
$22,3491943%—$27,400
5Temple University
Philadelphia Public · Bachelor's degree Small program
$20,667975%—$26,500

Colleges awarding the most Visual and Performing Arts degrees in Pennsylvania

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Kutztown Public
51Not reported
2Moore College of Art and Design
Philadelphia Private not-for-profit
45$27,107
3East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg Public
19$22,349
4Pennsylvania State University
University Park Public
15$25,702
5La Salle University
Philadelphia Private not-for-profit
12Not reported
6Saint Vincent College
Latrobe Private not-for-profit
12Not reported
7Wilson College
Chambersburg Private not-for-profit
12Not reported
8Temple University
Philadelphia Public
9$20,667
9Chatham University
Pittsburgh Private not-for-profit
8Not reported
10Albright College
Reading Private not-for-profit
5Not reported
Show the other 11 Pennsylvania colleges offering Visual and Performing Arts
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Pennsylvania State University - World Campus (Online)University ParkPublic12
Pennsylvania State University - Penn State AbingtonAbingtonPublic7
Drexel UniversityPhiladelphiaPrivate not-for-profit4
Keystone CollegeLa PlumePrivate not-for-profit4
Luzerne County Community CollegeNanticokePublic3
University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPrivate not-for-profit2
Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburghPrivate not-for-profit1
Gannon UniversityEriePrivate not-for-profit1
Harrisburg Area Community CollegeHarrisburgPublic1
University of Pittsburgh-BradfordBradfordPublic1
University of Pittsburgh-GreensburgGreensburgPublic1

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Graphic Designers (SOC 27-1024).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+2.1%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~20,000
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$61,300
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Active ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingWritingActive LearningReading Comprehension

What Graphic Designers earn in Pennsylvania

Jobs in Pennsylvania
8,150
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$66,620
median $60,730
Best-paying metro
$69,820
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

Related careers

Graphic Designers
$66,620 avg · 8,150 jobs
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
$79,170 avg · 4,170 jobs
Photographers
$49,190 avg · 1,870 jobs
Art Directors
$102,660 avg · 1,250 jobs
Special Effects Artists and Animators
$74,780 avg · 300 jobs
Craft Artists
$43,780 avg · 230 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Visual and Performing Arts programs in Pennsylvania.

Which Pennsylvania colleges award the most Visual and Performing Arts degrees?+

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (51 graduates a year), Moore College of Art and Design (45 graduates a year) and East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (19 graduates a year) award the most Visual and Performing Arts degrees in Pennsylvania, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 21 Pennsylvania colleges offer Visual and Performing Arts.

Which Visual and Performing Arts program in Pennsylvania has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Moore College of Art and Design tops the list at $27,107. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Graphic Designers earn in Pennsylvania?+

The average annual wage for Graphic Designers in Pennsylvania is $66,620 (median $60,730), across about 8,150 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Visual and Performing Arts program?+

The Visual and Performing Arts program offers a comprehensive exploration of artistic expression through various mediums. This program is designed for students who are passionate about creativity and wish to develop their skills in both…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop active listening, speaking, critical thinking, writing, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Graphic Designers?+

The national job outlook is about +2.1% growth with around 20,000 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

Visual and Performing Arts in other statesWisconsinVirginiaColoradoVermontMissouriFloridaTexasCalifornia

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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