What colleges are best for artists?

http://www.greatvaluecolleges.net/affordable/art-music/
http://blog.prepscholar.com/best-fine-arts-colleges
http://college.usatoday.com/2015/01/23/top-colleges-for-a-degree-in-fine-and-studio-arts/

I've attached some of the best schools for fine arts and various art programs, but there are many more good programs that still have a great job market but may not be considered a top 50 program. My advice is to pick a school that has a proven track record for job placement after the program. The arts can be very competitive, so finding a program that has a proven track of successful creatives coming out of it (and/or just successfully employed at good companies) is a good measure of the program. For instance, where I live in Columbus, there's a budding arts and film scene, but we also have some major clothing retailer headquarters here that are always looking for visual merchants and designers, graphic designers, fashion designers, etc, so Columbus College of Art and Design and Capital University's fine arts program (as well as Ohio State University's arts program) are all great talent pools for these companies to hire from. Weighing out your budget, the practical hands on experience working in your medium and building a portfolio (internships, showcases, workshops,etc), proximity to where you want to be living, and job placement statistics are all good things to consider when picking an arts program. Good luck!

To add to Stephanie's comment, I would consider looking into dual-enrollment at a community college while you're still in high school if that is a possibility. I know a couple of people who have done that and it really helped them in getting college credits early on and it also aided them in determining their particular interests and skills. You can get some real experience in college-level arts courses and see how you like it. I'm sure your academic adviser/guidance counselor can help you with this if you'd like to go that route.

For-profit schools (including the art institutes) generally charge a lot in tuition (hence the name) with little return on your investment- they can make it harder to find a job and pay back your student loans. That doesn't mean they are all bad. I know people who have gotten good jobs with their degrees from art-related for-profit schools. Some prestigious non-profit art schools include the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), The Art Institute of Chicago, and many more here: http://blog.prepscholar.com/best-fine-arts-colleges. Whatever you decide to do, try not to get discouraged. You have so many different options, which is a good thing!

As a side note, work on building your portfolio up and finding different opportunities like freelance work, volunteer experience, or internships/apprenticeships related to the arts that you want to focus on. This will be indispensable experience later on that will help immensely with college admissions or job placement.

Hope this helped you out!

All sources are from anecdotal evidence- mom was a for-profit adjunct professor and I have friends who did dual-enrollment/majored and graduated with degrees in the arts.

Well, yes, the Art Institute schools are not very good. Now, all depending on what you're going to study, so many different schools. My advice first, really figure out if Art school, the art field, is what you want. Extremely difficult, you will not make a lot of money, depending of course on what you end up doing or studying. Overall, the art field is hard and you've to be 110% and more into it. There's a lot of good schools but going to cost a small fortune. I would recommend Parsons, School of Visual Arts in NY, Sheridan College for Animation, Institute of Chicago and Cal Arts in CA. Great schools and of course, there's many more. But the main focus is what will you do. Graphic design is great and all but best to be very well rounded once coming out of school and having experience always helps. Intern if you can. Decide on a field that is needed or that you're passionate about. Practice, practice, learn, read. There's so much in the art field. And no, you don't need a masters. What you need is experience and work. Learn on the job. In college, work. Volunteer. Work more. I am an animator by trade and worked in all kinds of fields so these days you've to remain flexible so if all you can do is graphic design you're limiting yourself unless you're AMAZING at it. Find your strength and stick with that. Till then, experiment, draw, paint, sketch, find out what it is that makes art dance in your life. If you don't eat, drink, sleep, art, all the time, being part of you, don't do it. A cobble stoned road lies ahead.

Too early to be stressed out about college at 15! It's good that you are looking, but relax. There is a lot to think about in choosing colleges---location, cost, strengths, competitive admissions, and so on. You should narrow down geographical area (city or small town); how much money your parents have to spend on college, or what your chances are for a scholarship, or how much debt you are prepared to handle, and what type of art you enjoy. In addition, you need to think about the strength of your grades and your art portfolio.

Most colleges and universities have art departments, where you can get a good education in studio art. Going to a 4 year college or university with a major in art will give you a broader education than going to an art school. However, if you want a more intense art experience, do look at art schools. I don't know where you are getting your reviews of art institutes and art schools, but be critical of them; don't let one bad review scare you off a school--check it out on your own.

Where ever you look, make sure there is some sort of internship program for the type of art you want to do. An internship will allow you to see an art career up close, get some experience, and introduce you to people in the field. Having an internship on your resume will be helpful in landing a job after college. In addition, the people you intern for can be helpful in finding out about future job openings and in giving you work references. For more information about colleges for art, talk to your art teachers at your school, your guidance counselor, and, if you high school has a career center, talk to the people there. Please don't just search for information only on the computer--talk to people who can help you!