38 Best Art & Design schools in Virginia

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Virginia ranked based on their research performance in Art & Design. A graph of 1.28M citations received by 60.9K academic papers made by 38 universities in Virginia was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

Please note that our approach to subject rankings is based on scientific outputs and heavily biased on art-related topics towards institutions with computer science research profiles.

1. University of Virginia

Charlottesville

For Art & Design

#36 in the United States

#40 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 17%
Average SAT: 1475
Average ACT: 34
Receiving Aid: 57%

2. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg

For Art & Design

#43 in the United States

#47 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Average SAT: 1365
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 67%

3. George Mason University

Fairfax

For Art & Design

#68 in the United States

#79 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1260
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 79%

4. Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond

For Art & Design

#130 in the United States

#154 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 1140
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 92%

5. Old Dominion University

Norfolk

For Art & Design

#136 in the United States

#160 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1190
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 94%

6. College of William and Mary

Williamsburg

For Art & Design

#148 in the United States

#172 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Average SAT: 1465
Average ACT: 33
Receiving Aid: 55%

7. Marymount University

Arlington

For Art & Design

#194 in the United States

#224 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Net Price: $31,989
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $26,069

8. University of Richmond

Richmond

For Art & Design

#205 in the United States

#235 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Average SAT: 1470
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $30,037

9. James Madison University

Harrisonburg

For Art & Design

#245 in the United States

#276 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1255
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 58%

10. Regent University

Virginia Beach

For Art & Design

#341 in the United States

#381 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $20,512

11. Washington and Lee University

Lexington

For Art & Design

#361 in the United States

#402 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Average SAT: 1485
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $23,055

12. Radford University

Radford

For Art & Design

#464 in the United States

#513 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1050
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 96%

13. University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg

For Art & Design

#505 in the United States

#556 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 1270
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 99%

14. Liberty University

Lynchburg

For Art & Design

#598 in the United States

#657 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 99%
Net Price: $29,532
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $12,489

15. Eastern Virginia Medical School

Norfolk

For Art & Design

#602 in the United States

#662 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Enrollment: 1,216
Male:Female: 34:66
Founded: 1973

16. Christopher Newport University

Newport News

For Art & Design

#617 in the United States

#677 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 1175
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 78%

17. Longwood University

Farmville

For Art & Design

#654 in the United States

#718 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 99%

18. Hampton University

Hampton

For Art & Design

#690 in the United States

#756 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 62%
Average SAT: 940
Average ACT: 18
Net Price: $27,428

19. University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg

For Art & Design

#706 in the United States

#772 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Average SAT: 1105
Net Price: $23,845
Receiving Aid: 100%

20. Norfolk State University

Norfolk

For Art & Design

#757 in the United States

#823 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 927
Average ACT: 19
Receiving Aid: 94%

21. Emory & Henry College

Emory

For Art & Design

#779 in the United States

#845 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Average SAT: 1137
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $21,446

22. Stratford University

Fairfax

For Art & Design

#794 in the United States

#861 in North America

Net Price: $23,243
Receiving Aid: 58%
Average Aid: $4,605
Enrollment: 1,947

23. Randolph-Macon College

Ashland

For Art & Design

#799 in the United States

#866 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1100
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $28,912

24. Virginia State University

Petersburg

For Art & Design

#815 in the United States

#882 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 955
Average ACT: 17
Receiving Aid: 92%

25. Shenandoah University

Winchester

For Art & Design

#820 in the United States

#887 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Net Price: $27,181
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $24,747

26. Roanoke College

Salem

For Art & Design

#825 in the United States

#892 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Average SAT: 1195
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $26,044

27. Hollins University

Roanoke

For Art & Design

#857 in the United States

#926 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1245
Net Price: $22,605
Receiving Aid: 100%

28. Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney

For Art & Design

#893 in the United States

#962 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Average SAT: 1140
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $29,717

29. Virginia Military Institute

Lexington

For Art & Design

#907 in the United States

#976 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1160
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 96%

30. Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach

For Art & Design

#923 in the United States

#993 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Net Price: $21,267
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $29,923

31. Union Presbyterian Seminary

Richmond

For Art & Design

#937 in the United States

#1007 in North America

Enrollment: 159
Male:Female: 33:67

32. Sweet Briar College

Sweet Briar

For Art & Design

#991 in the United States

#1062 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1205
Net Price: $21,322
Receiving Aid: 99%

33. Mary Baldwin University

Staunton

For Art & Design

#1019 in the United States

#1091 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $17,810
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $28,135

34. Bridgewater College

Bridgewater

For Art & Design

#1091 in the United States

#1168 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Average SAT: 1190
Net Price: $11,316
Receiving Aid: 100%

35. Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg

For Art & Design

#1137 in the United States

#1215 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $25,021
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $32,378

36. Randolph College

Lynchburg

For Art & Design

#1170 in the United States

#1249 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Average SAT: 1155
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $21,668

37. University of Virginia's College at Wise

Wise

For Art & Design

#1201 in the United States

#1280 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 29%
Average SAT: 1033
Average ACT: 20
Receiving Aid: 99%

38. Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

Blacksburg

For Art & Design

#1351 in the United States

#1435 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 2,617
Male:Female: 40:60

Closest to Virginia states to learn Art & Design

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
West Virginia	13	122
District of Columbia	9	56
North Carolina	39	11
Maryland	26	21
Pennsylvania	95	12
South Carolina	23	75
Ohio	53	19
New Jersey	25	22
Kentucky	20	80
Tennessee	30	53
Georgia	41	28
Indiana	30	27
New York	124	8
Connecticut	20	20
Rhode Island	9	65
Massachusetts	65	5
Alabama	23	100
Vermont	9	147
Illinois	68	3
Michigan	34	4
New Hampshire	11	84
Florida	45	34
Mississippi	10	166
Wisconsin	28	9
Missouri	34	48
Maine	9	174
Arkansas	15	116
Iowa	25	45
Louisiana	21	73
Minnesota	25	26
Kansas	12	62
Oklahoma	17	95
Nebraska	10	88
South Dakota	8	377
Texas	68	13
North Dakota	5	227
Colorado	19	42
New Mexico	7	96
Puerto Rico	5	423
Montana	5	184
Utah	10	44
Arizona	7	24
Idaho	7	219
Nevada	4	137
Washington	20	7
Oregon	16	86
California	117	1
Alaska	4	233
Hawaii	6	87

Closest to Virginia states to learn Art & Design

Art & Design subfields in Virginia