Affordability and Value

Top-ranked arts school. Low cost of attendance.

v c u arts student at commencement

You can learn and thrive at one of the country’s top-ranked public university art schools—and because we’re state funded, our tuition is lower than many other top schools for art and design. Plus, access to international experiences, grants for research and internships, and Richmond’s low cost of living complete the value of a VCUarts education.

Just compare VCUarts with other top art schools:

Undergraduate Program Comparison

RankSchoolTuition
#1University of California–Los Angeles$43,492
#2School of the Art Institute of Chicago$53,160
(tie)Yale University$57,700
#4VCU$12,094 (in-state) / $32,742 (out-of-state)
#5California Institute of the Arts$53,466
(tie)Rhode Island School of Design$54,890
#7Carnegie Mellon University$58,924
#8Maryland Institute College of Art$51,580
(tie)University of Michigan$52,266
#10Alfred University–New York State College of Ceramics$36,276
(tie)Bard College$56,036
(tie)California College of the Arts$53,328
(tie)Columbia University$62,141
(tie)University of California–San Diego$46,542

Rankings come from U.S. News and World Report‘s evaluation of graduate school programs. Annual undergraduate out-of-state tuition comes from College Board’s posted college prices as of June 2021. You can add up college costs at collegeboard.org.

Full-time VCUarts students pay an additional $1880 per academic year for program-specific materials, services and equipment.


Scholarships

Scholarships are available from the university, VCUarts and our departments—and in many cases, you’ll be considered automatically when you apply for admission. Nearly two-thirds of accepted first-year VCUarts students are offered a scholarship.

Financial aid

VCU Student Financial Management Center helps students seeking federal aid, loans, grants and scholarships. Eligibility depends on your academic and financial circumstances, but most students qualify for some form of aid. To be considered, complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the priority deadline of February 1.