13. New York University
The possibilities are unsurprisingly endless at New York University, where artists can enroll in a BFA in Studio Art at the Steinhardt School, learn photography and imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts, or join the Gallatin School of Individualized Study to create a personal, tailored degree program.
While the cost of such freedoms is $68,978, nearly one in two students receive grant aid and each artist enjoys class sizes of around eight students per professor. Diversity demographics are beautifully dispersed, with a student body that is 19% Asian/Pacific Islander, 8% African American, 17% Hispanic/Latino, 22% White, 24% International, and 10% other. Post-graduation employment rates are also almost 86%, and first-year retention is at 94%.
Acceptance rates to NYU’s 30,000-student population are on the lower end, at 12%, but the chance to enjoy the Grey Art Gallery—one of the most impressive university art galleries in the country—alongside faculty like Miriam Basilio, Pepe Karmel, and Dipti Khera is nothing to sneeze at.
Finally, we can’t ignore that an education in the fine arts is probably best situated in New York City, with hundreds of museums and galleries just steps from each other: the Met, the Whitney, the Guggenheim, the Frick Collection, the MoMA—the list is infinite.