MFA in USA: Top Colleges to pursue MFA

Fine art is a field that feeds your creative soul with different streams of art. You can learn the technicalities of your specialized art form and make it into a career. The Master’s in Fine Arts is a perfect way to elevate your skills. 

If you are considering pursuing this degree in the United States, then these are the best MFA colleges you can apply for. 

Master in Fine Arts

It is a postgraduate degree program in the art stream. You will learn about various art styles like photography, sculpture, ceramics, fiber material studies, digital art, digital sculpture, multimedia design, production art, etc. It is a two to three years study program. 

This post-graduation study program offers multiple specializations. Some of the popular specialization subjects are as follows. 

Design for responsible innovation	Digital art and design
Creative writing	Visual communication design
Experimental and documentary art	Theatre art
Digital cinema production	Architecture, interior, a designed object
Film, video, new media, animation	Photography
Sound	Graphic design

5 best colleges for MFA in the United States.

The United States has become a hub for art students to pursue graduation and post-graduation degrees. The universities in the country are ranked among the most desirable universities in the world. The famous university ranking agency QS University Rankings has published the list of best MFA colleges in the US. Let’s look at the top 5 colleges in the country and the fees for the first year. 

No.	University	QS Rank	Fee in $
1	Stanford University	3	54,315
2	The University of Pennsylvania	13	54,964
3	Yale University	18	42,275
4	Cornell University	20	29,500
5	Columbia University	22	65,116

Let’s look at each university briefly. 

Stanford University

This university has been on the top list of colleges for several educational programs throughout the years. The university’s master’s program for fine arts has given renowned artists to the world. These students are chosen by their high artistic individuality and their achievements.

It is a full-time two years program. The university admits only 5 students every year for this course. They receive financial aid and scholarships to finish their studies. The financial aid is a combination of fellowship funds and teaching assistance. This aid includes tuition fees, small material grants, and a salary. 

You can get more information about it on this official website. https://financialaid.stanford.edu/grad/

The University of Pennsylvania.

This university is one of the prestigious universities in the United States. It has a different college dedicated to fine arts studies which is the Weitzman School of Design. The master’s program in fine arts at this university is focused more on developing studio artists. They offer studio work, seminar courses, international residency opportunities, and interaction with working artists to provide students with a practical overview of the industry.

The university has a 19-course units curriculum for MFA. This program offers an open intellectual framework to foster critical awareness. The university also offers a dual-degree program for fine arts students. 

For more information, you can visit the official website below. 

https://www.design.upenn.edu/fine-arts/graduate/program

Yale University

This university is well-known for its medical, law, and business education programs. Its master’s program for fine arts is also impressive. It has also achieved being in the top 5 list of universities in the arts stream. This university is extremely selective in the student’s admission to the fine arts program. 

The university offers specialization in graphic design, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, theatre management, acting, etc. Most of the faculty members of this program are critically acclaimed artists and lecturers. It has a library with British artwork from the 1500s.   

The admissions at Yale university start in the fall season. You can get more information about it on their official website. 

https://www.art.yale.edu/apply/graduate-admission

Cornell University

This university has a division for fine arts studies named Cornell Architecture Art Planning (AAP). In its MFA course, the university offers interdisciplinary and medium-specific practices. It has a special advisory committee with the faculty from the art department. 

This committee has over 15 artists and practitioners who come to conduct lectures for the students. The curriculum of this university aims to create artistic objects, spaces, and experiences for the students. 

For more information about this university, visit its official website. 

https://aap.cornell.edu/academics/art/about

Columbia University

This university comes under the list of ivy universities. It is also listed among the top-ranking universities across the world. Out of all the applications, this university accepts only 2% of the applicants for visual arts studies. It also offers a degree program for sound arts.

The university is located in New York City. It offers specializations in painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, etc. The university will provide you with financial aid and scholarships to help with the expenses. 

For more information about the admission process, visit the official website of the university.

https://arts.columbia.edu/

Key takeaways

• Best MFA programs in the US are determined by their curriculum and the number of students making a good career in their fields.
• All of these universities have a difficult admission process. You will need to know the eligibility requirements for the universities before applying.
• The best MFA colleges provide special facilities to international students. 

We hope you find this article helpful. Write to us your comments. Click here to read more such articles.  

Liked this blog? Read next: 5 things you need to know about studying Fine Arts abroad

FAQs

Q1. Which country is the best for studying for MFA?

Answer: The United States is considered to be the best country to pursue MFA.

Q2. How many students graduate every year with an MFA degree?

Answer: The number of students graduating with an MFA degree fluctuates every year, but last year the number was between 3000 to 4000 students.

Q3. Which is the best art school in the world?

Answer: The University of Arts, London, is considered to be the best art school in the world.