38 Best Art & Design schools in Virginia

Updated: March 02, 2025

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 1.22M citations received by 59.7K 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: 1470
Average ACT: 33
Receiving Aid: 44%

2. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg

For Art & Design

#43 in the United States

#47 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 1330
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 69%

3. George Mason University

Fairfax

For Art & Design

#66 in the United States

#77 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 1240
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 80%

4. Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond

For Art & Design

#132 in the United States

#156 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 1150
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 100%

5. Old Dominion University

Norfolk

For Art & Design

#136 in the United States

#160 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1200
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 94%

6. College of William and Mary

Williamsburg

For Art & Design

#147 in the United States

#171 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Average SAT: 1438
Average ACT: 33
Receiving Aid: 54%

7. Marymount University

Arlington

For Art & Design

#193 in the United States

#223 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Net Price: $28,147
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $28,003

8. University of Richmond

Richmond

For Art & Design

#205 in the United States

#235 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 23%
Average SAT: 1470
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $35,263

9. James Madison University

Harrisonburg

For Art & Design

#244 in the United States

#275 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1245
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 89%

10. Regent University

Virginia Beach

For Art & Design

#335 in the United States

#374 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Average SAT: 1150
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $18,314

11. Washington and Lee University

Lexington

For Art & Design

#360 in the United States

#401 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 17%
Average SAT: 1470
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $24,667

12. Radford University

Radford

For Art & Design

#465 in the United States

#514 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1060
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 99%

13. University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg

For Art & Design

#504 in the United States

#555 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 1235
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 99%

14. Liberty University

Lynchburg

For Art & Design

#601 in the United States

#661 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 99%
Net Price: $29,692
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $12,023

15. Eastern Virginia Medical School

Norfolk

For Art & Design

#611 in the United States

#671 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Enrollment: 1,235
Male:Female: 34:66
Founded: 1973

16. Christopher Newport University

Newport News

For Art & Design

#624 in the United States

#685 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1200
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 77%

17. Longwood University

Farmville

For Art & Design

#661 in the United States

#725 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1105
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 100%

18. Hampton University

Hampton

For Art & Design

#687 in the United States

#752 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 48%
Average SAT: 1042
Average ACT: 18
Net Price: $28,576

19. University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg

For Art & Design

#701 in the United States

#767 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average SAT: 1105
Net Price: $22,921
Receiving Aid: 100%

20. Norfolk State University

Norfolk

For Art & Design

#753 in the United States

#819 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 970
Average ACT: 19
Receiving Aid: 97%

21. Emory & Henry College

Emory

For Art & Design

#775 in the United States

#841 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Average SAT: 1135
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $21,714

22. Stratford University

Fairfax

For Art & Design

#777 in the United States

#843 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: 83%
Average SAT: 1125
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $29,058

24. Virginia State University

Petersburg

For Art & Design

#813 in the United States

#880 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 925
Average ACT: 17
Receiving Aid: 92%

25. Shenandoah University

Winchester

For Art & Design

#825 in the United States

#892 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Net Price: $26,400
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $24,100

26. Roanoke College

Salem

For Art & Design

#826 in the United States

#893 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 1180
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $27,695

27. Hollins University

Roanoke

For Art & Design

#853 in the United States

#922 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1215
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $23,444

28. Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney

For Art & Design

#886 in the United States

#955 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Average SAT: 1145
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $29,578

29. Virginia Military Institute

Lexington

For Art & Design

#903 in the United States

#972 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average SAT: 1150
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 89%

30. Union Presbyterian Seminary

Richmond

For Art & Design

#925 in the United States

#995 in North America

Enrollment: 173
Male:Female: 35:65

31. Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach

For Art & Design

#926 in the United States

#996 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1245
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $21,862

32. Sweet Briar College

Sweet Briar

For Art & Design

#989 in the United States

#1059 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1205
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $25,598

33. Mary Baldwin University

Staunton

For Art & Design

#1019 in the United States

#1091 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $18,838
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $25,673

34. Bridgewater College

Bridgewater

For Art & Design

#1084 in the United States

#1161 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1223
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $19,660

35. Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg

For Art & Design

#1137 in the United States

#1215 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $24,710
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $30,242

36. Randolph College

Lynchburg

For Art & Design

#1164 in the United States

#1242 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Average SAT: 1085
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $20,856

37. University of Virginia's College at Wise

Wise

For Art & Design

#1203 in the United States

#1282 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Average SAT: 1055
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 100%

38. Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

Blacksburg

For Art & Design

#1355 in the United States

#1438 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 2,596
Male:Female: 41:59

Closest to Virginia states to learn Art & Design

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
West Virginia	13	125
District of Columbia	9	56
North Carolina	39	11
Maryland	25	21
Pennsylvania	95	12
South Carolina	23	75
Ohio	52	19
New Jersey	25	22
Kentucky	20	80
Tennessee	30	53
Georgia	40	28
Indiana	30	27
New York	124	7
Connecticut	20	20
Rhode Island	9	65
Massachusetts	65	5
Alabama	22	101
Vermont	9	145
Illinois	68	3
Michigan	33	4
New Hampshire	11	84
Florida	44	34
Mississippi	10	166
Wisconsin	28	9
Missouri	34	48
Maine	9	173
Arkansas	15	116
Iowa	25	45
Louisiana	20	72
Minnesota	25	24
Kansas	12	62
Oklahoma	17	95
Nebraska	10	88
South Dakota	8	377
Texas	68	13
North Dakota	5	231
Colorado	19	42
New Mexico	7	96
Puerto Rico	5	420
Montana	5	182
Utah	10	44
Arizona	7	25
Idaho	7	219
Nevada	4	137
Washington	20	8
Oregon	16	86
California	116	1
Alaska	4	232
Hawaii	6	89

Closest to Virginia states to learn Art & Design

Art & Design subfields in Virginia