5 Highly Regarded Studio Art Colleges

by Elissa Watters August 28, 2012

Art Programs Across the Country

by Elissa Watters, guest blogger

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

RISD

For years RISD has held the reputation of being the top art school in the USA. RISD is located in Providence, Rhode Island, and has an agreement with its neighbor, Brown University, that allows its students to cross-register for classes at Brown and vice versa. As a result, students can pursue a 4-year BFA program while retaining the benefits of a liberal arts education. Students may also apply to the Brown-RISD Dual Degree Program—a 5 year program at the end of which students obtain both a BFA from RISD and a BA from Brown. RISD has a small undergraduate student body of just under 2,000 and a low student-faculty ratio of 9:1.

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

UCLA is one of the top-ranked universities in the USA. Many of this west coast university’s departments are well-known, including its arts programs. UCLA is an urban school with a little over 26,000 undergraduates and a quarter-based academic calendar. This public university offers many scholarships.

UCLA

California College of the Arts

Located in the beautiful town of San Francisco, this private college may be just the right choice for those looking for a small, west coast arts school. California College of the Arts has a 4 acre campus, a small student body of just under 1500, small class sizes (93% of classes have under 20 students) and a low student-faculty ratio of 9:1, giving students a more intimate college experience. In addition, this college has 21 majors in fine arts and design, allowing students to study exactly what they want!

CUNY Hunter College

This public college in New York City is a liberal arts school, but its arts programs—particularly fine arts—are particularly strong. Most of the college’s 15,500-plus students live off-campus. Hunter College’s location in downtown Manhattan is great for students of the arts, as New York’s well-known and varied art museums and galleries are only a few subway stops away. Music and theater are also prominent programs at Hunter College.

Bard College

Bard College

A small, liberal arts college with a great arts program, Bard College’s rural setting is perfect for student artists who enjoy working in beautiful surroundings. Bard College has just under 2,000 students and about 600 acres of land. Although this artsy school is located in the back-country in Annandale-on-Hudson, not far from the Catskills, it is just 90 minutes from New York City—close enough for a day trip or weekend venture to this international art city.

Mentioned in this article @risd_edu @UCLA @CACollegeofArts @Hunter_College @BARDCollege @naylandblake