The List of All U.S. Colleges with an Art History Major

Art history is an incredibly rich and multi-faceted discipline as art historians study the art and architecture of cultures and their historical development throughout millennia. Through art history, we aim to understand our humanity the creative work others leave behind.

 

This may make art history sound awfully broad, impractical, and even esoteric. Don’t worry, such views are not unfounded. It’s easy to perceive art history as well as some of the other major pillars of the liberal arts, like literature and anthropology, in this very same way. Read on to learn more about what you can gain from majoring in Art History and where you can go to do it!

Why Should You Study Art History in College?

Many students think that if they major in art history, they will graduate with impractical knowledge and skills. They may also think that majoring in art history will limit their career prospects to more niche occupations such as curators or museum directors. Let’s see if we can dispel some of these concerns.

 

A major in art history will teach you much more than how to analyze a painting. Art is humanity in visual representation. The major pulls in elements from many different disciplines, such as social history—an artwork’s historical and cultural context, politics—how works reflected and impacted the political climate of the time, and philosophy—how humans determine aesthetics and make meaning out of visuals.   

 

Art history will help you develop skills in critical thinking and analysis, research, and expository writing. It’s the broad range and universal application of these core skills that makes an art history major actually quite practical. A degree in art history will prepare you for positions in museums and galleries, auction houses, publishing, art or artist management and much more.

 

Keep in mind that it isn’t unheard of to end up in a profession which isn’t directly related to a given major, including art history, and that the core skills of critical thinking and analysis are great takeaways that can serve you well in any industry. Many art history students find that they have an advantage if pursuing graduate school in law or medicine, as these fields highly value backgrounds in intellectual disciplines.

How Can You Increase Your Chances of Acceptance?

Even if you already know what you’re going to study in college, there is no one path to guarantee your acceptance into any program at any particular college. Colleges generally look for overall strong applications. Of course for a student looking to pursue art history, a demonstrated interest in related high school coursework and related activities will definitely help your application, as colleges like to see that students have invested time in their passions.  

 

A strong record of academic achievement in challenging classes is important. This is the first element of your application that colleges will look at, and unless you’re applying to highly specialized schools, most colleges will look at your application first and foremost as a student to determine your capacity for success in your program of choice. The GPA is the easiest data point to use to estimate your chances at a school. The closer your GPA is to those of previously accepted students, the better your chances are.

 

Just as important are extracurriculars and college essays. Did you volunteer at a local gallery? Do you have a YouTube channel where you upload comedic animations of famous artists’ secret lives? Extracurriculars are the first step to make you stand out from other applicants.

 

The college essays, whether it’s your personal statement or responses for individual schools, are a great place to express your interest in art history and in the school. This is your chance to optimize your overall profile, by highlighting your strengths and developing a narrative around your extracurriculars and achievements, or by introducing something readers wouldn’t otherwise have known.

 

If you’re an underclassman, CollegeVine’s Early Advising Program can help you build a strong extracurricular and academic base to prepare you for the college application process. You will have a mentor to guide you in choosing the right classes and extracurricular activities and how to draw on your strengths to optimize your profile for college applications in advance.

 

For juniors, our College Strategy Program will help you improve your admissions chances by strengthening your extracurricular profile, setting strategic goals with you, developing a college list, and helping you make the most out of your last summer.

 

If you’re a senior, you can take advantage of our College Applications Program, where graduates from top 30 schools will guide you one-on-one through every step of the college applications process, including building a strong school list tailored to your profile and interests.

What Colleges Have an Art History Major?

Adelphi University

Agnes Scott College

Allegheny College

American University

Amherst College

Andrews University

Appalachian State University

Aquinas College (Michigan)

Arcadia University

Arizona State University | ASU

Auburn University

Augsburg University

Augusta University

Augustana College

Augustana University

Austin College

Babson College

Ball State University | BSU

Bard College

Barnard College

Barry University

Baruch College | CUNY Baruch

Bellarmine University

Belmont University

Beloit College

Bennington College

Berry College

Bethel College (Indiana)

Bloomsburg University | BloomU

Boise State University | BSU

Boston College | BC

Boston University | BU

Bowdoin College

Bradley University

Brandeis University

Brescia University

Bridgewater State University

Brigham Young University | BYU

Brigham Young University–Idaho | BYU–Idaho

Brooklyn College

Brown University

Bryn Mawr College

Bucknell University

Caldwell University

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona | Cal Poly Pomona

California State University Channel Islands | CSU Channel Islands

California State University, Chico | CSU Chico

California State University, Dominguez Hills | CSUDH

California State University, East Bay | CSU East Bay

California State University, Fresno | CSU Fresno

California State University, Fullerton | CSU Fullerton

California State University, Long Beach | Long Beach State

California State University, Los Angeles | Cal State LA

California State University, Monterey Bay | CSUMB

California State University, Northridge | CSUN

California State University, Sacramento | Sacramento State

California State University, San Bernardino | CSUSB

California University of Pennsylvania | Cal U

Calvin College

Campbellsville University

Carleton College

Carroll University

Carthage College

Case Western Reserve University

Castleton University

Catholic University of America | CUA

Cedar Crest College

Central Michigan University | CMU

Centre College

Chapman University

Chicago State University | CSU

Christopher Newport University | CNU

Clark Atlanta University | CAU

Clark University

Clarke University

Cleveland State University | CSU

Coastal Carolina University | Coastal

Coe College

Colby College

Colgate University

College of Charleston

College of Mount Saint Vincent | CMSV

College of New Rochelle | CNR

College of the Holy Cross | Holy Cross

College of William & Mary | William & Mary

College of Wooster

Colorado Mesa University

Colorado State University | CSU

Columbia College Chicago

Columbia University

Columbus State University

Concordia College (Minnesota)

Concordia University Irvine

Connecticut College

Converse College

Cornell College

Cornell University

Creighton University

Dallas Baptist University | DBU

Dartmouth College

Davidson College

Denison University

DePaul University

DePauw University

Dickinson College

Dominican University (Illinois)

Drake University

Drew University

Drexel University

Drury University

Duke University

Earlham College

East Tennessee State University | ETSU

Eastern Illinois University | EIU

Eastern Michigan University | EMU

Edinboro University

Elizabethtown College | E-town

Elon University

Emory University

Evergreen State College

Fashion Institute of Technology | FIT

Flagler College

Florida A&M University | FAMU

Florida Atlantic University | FAU

Florida International University | FIU

Florida Southern College

Florida State University | FSU

Fordham University

Framingham State University

Franklin and Marshall College | F&M

Frostburg State University

Furman University

George Mason University

George Washington University | GW

Georgetown University

Georgia Southern University

Gettysburg College

Gonzaga University

Goucher College

Graceland University

Grand Valley State University | GVSU

Grand View University

Grinnell College

Gustavus Adolphus College

Hamilton College

Hamline University

Hampshire College

Hampton University

Hanover College

Harvard University

Hastings College

Hendrix College

Hobart and William Smith Colleges | HWS

Hofstra University

Hollins University

Hood College

Hope College

Howard University

Hunter College | CUNY Hunter

Huntingdon College

Illinois State University | ISU

Indiana State University | ISU

Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis | IUPUI

Indiana University Bloomington | Indiana

Indiana University of Pennsylvania | IUP

Indiana University South Bend | IU South Bend

Ithaca College

Jackson College

Jacksonville State University | JSU

Jacksonville University

James Madison University | JMU

John Carroll University | JCU

Johns Hopkins University | JHU

Judson University

Juniata College

Kalamazoo College

Kennesaw State University | KSU

Kent State University

Kenyon College

Knox College

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | KU

La Salle University

Lafayette College

Lake Forest College

Lawrence University

Lehigh University

Lehman College | CUNY Lehman

Lewis & Clark College

Lindenwood University

Louisiana State University | LSU

Louisiana State University Shreveport | LSUS

Lourdes University

Loyola Marymount University | LMU

Loyola University Chicago

Loyola University Maryland

Loyola University New Orleans

Lubbock Christian University | LCU

Macalester College

Manhattan College

Manhattanville College

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Marian University

Marist College

Mary Baldwin University | MBU

Maryland Institute College of Art | MICA

Marymount Manhattan College

Medgar Evers College | CUNY MEC

Merrimack College

Messiah College

Metropolitan State University of Denver | MSU Denver

Michigan State University

Middle Tennessee State University | MTSU

Middlebury College

Midland University

Mills College

Millsaps College

Minnesota State University Moorhead | MSUM

Minnesota State University, Mankato | MNSU

Missouri State University | MSU

Morehouse College

Mount Holyoke College

Mount Saint Mary College

Mount St. Joseph University

Mount St. Mary’s University

Mount Vernon Nazarene University | MVNU

National Louis University | NLU

Nazareth College

Neumann University

New England College | NEC

New York City College of Technology | CUNY City Tech

Norfolk State University | NSU

North Carolina Central University | NCCU

North Carolina State University | NC State

North Dakota State University | NDSU

Northeastern University

Northern Arizona University | NAU

Northern Vermont University–Johnson | NVU Johnson

Northwest University

Northwestern College

Northwestern University

Nova Southeastern University | NSU

Oakland University

Oberlin College

Ohio University

Ohio Wesleyan University

Oklahoma Baptist University | OBU

Old Dominion University | ODU

Pacific Lutheran University | PLU

Pacific University

Peninsula College

Pennsylvania State University | PSU

Pensacola State College

Pepperdine University

Pittsburg State University | PSU

Plymouth State University | PSU

Pomona College

Portland State University | PSU

Pratt Institute

Presbyterian College

Princeton University

Principia College

Providence College

Purdue University Fort Wayne | PFW

Queens College, City University of New York | CUNY QC

Queens University of Charlotte

Radford University

Ramapo College of New Jersey | RCNJ

Regis University

Rhode Island College | RIC

Rhodes College

Rice University

Ripon College

Rockford University

Roger Williams University | RWU

Rosemont College

Rutgers University–Camden

Rutgers University–New Brunswick | Rutgers

Rutgers University–Newark

Saint Louis University | SLU

Saint Mary’s College (Indiana)

Saint Mary’s College of California | St. Mary’s

Saint Peter’s University

Salem State University

Salve Regina University

Sam Houston State University | SHSU

San Jose State University | SJSU

Santa Clara University

Sarah Lawrence College

Savannah College of Art and Design | SCAD

School of the Art Institute of Chicago | SAIC

Scripps College

Seattle Pacific University | SPU

Seattle University

Seton Hill University

Sewanee: The University of the South | Sewanee

Silver Lake College

Simmons College

Skidmore College

Smith College

Soka University of America

Sonoma State University | SSU

Southeastern Louisiana University

Southern Connecticut State University | SCSU

Southern Illinois University Carbondale | SIU

Southern Utah University | SUU

Southwest Baptist University | SBU

Southwest Minnesota State University | SMSU

Southwestern Adventist University

Southwestern Oklahoma State University | SWOSU

Southwestern University

Spelman College

St. Ambrose University

St. Anselm College

St. Catherine University

St. Cloud State University | SCSU

St. Joseph’s University | SJU

St. Lawrence University

St. Mary’s College of Maryland

St. Michael’s College

St. Olaf College

St. Thomas University | STU

State University of New York at Cortland | SUNY Cortland

State University of New York at Fredonia | SUNY Fredonia

State University of New York at New Paltz | SUNY New Paltz

State University of New York at Plattsburgh | SUNY Plattsburgh

State University of New York at Potsdam | SUNY Potsdam

State University of New York at Purchase | SUNY Purchase

Stephen F. Austin State University | SFA

Stetson University

Stonehill College

Suffolk University

Swarthmore College

Syracuse University

Taylor University

Temple University

Tennessee State University | TSU

Texas A&M University–Kingsville

Texas Christian University | TCU

Texas Southern University | TSU

Texas State University

Texas Woman’s University | TWU

The College of New Jersey | TCNJ

The Ohio State University | OSU

The State University of New York at Albany | SUNY Albany

The State University of New York at Binghamton | SUNY Binghamton

The State University of New York at Buffalo | SUNY Buffalo

The State University of New York at Geneseo | SUNY Geneseo

The State University of New York at Stony Brook | SUNY Stony Brook

Towson University

Transylvania University

Trinity College

Trinity University

Tufts University

Tulane University

Union College (New York)

University of Alabama

University of Alabama at Birmingham | UAB

University of Arizona

University of Arkansas at Little Rock | UA Little Rock

University of Arkansas at Monticello | UAM

University of California, Berkeley | UC Berkeley

University of California, Davis | UC Davis

University of California, Irvine | UC Irvine

University of California, Los Angeles | UCLA

University of California, Riverside | UC Riverside

University of California, San Diego | UCSD

University of California, Santa Barbara | UCSB

University of California, Santa Cruz | UCSC

University of Central Florida | UCF

University of Chicago

University of Cincinnati

University of Colorado Boulder | CU Boulder

University of Colorado Denver | CU Denver

University of Connecticut | UConn

University of Dallas

University of Dayton

University of Delaware

University of Denver

University of Evansville

University of Florida

University of Georgia

University of Hawaii at Manoa | UH Manoa

University of Houston

University of Illinois at Chicago | UIC

University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign | UIUC

University of Iowa

University of Kansas

University of Kentucky

University of La Verne

University of Louisville

University of Maine

University of Mary Hardin–Baylor | UMHB

University of Mary Washington | UMW

University of Maryland, College Park | Maryland

University of Massachusetts Amherst | UMass Amherst

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | UMass Dartmouth

University of Memphis

University of Miami

University of Michigan

University of Michigan–Dearborn | UM-D

University of Michigan–Flint | UofM-Flint

University of Minnesota Duluth | UMD

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | Minnesota

University of Mississippi | Ole Miss

University of Missouri | Mizzou

University of Missouri–Kansas City | UMKC

University of Missouri–St. Louis | UMSL

University of Nebraska at Kearney | UNK

University of Nebraska Omaha | UNO

University of Nebraska–Lincoln | UNL

University of Nevada, Las Vegas | UNLV

University of Nevada, Reno

University of New Hampshire | UNH

University of New Mexico | UNM

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | UNC

University of North Carolina at Charlotte | UNC Charlotte

University of North Carolina at Wilmington | UNC Wilmington

University of North Florida | UNF

University of North Texas | UNT

University of Northwestern – St. Paul

University of Notre Dame

University of Oklahoma

University of Oregon

University of Pennsylvania | UPenn

University of Pittsburgh | Pitt

University of Puget Sound

University of Rhode Island | URI

University of Richmond

University of Saint Francis | USF

University of Saint Joseph

University of San Diego | USD

University of San Francisco | USF

University of Scranton

University of South Carolina | USC

University of South Carolina Upstate | USC Upstate

University of South Florida | USF

University of Southern California | USC

University of Southern Indiana | USI

University of Southern Mississippi | Southern Miss

University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)

University of Texas at Arlington | UT Arlington

University of Texas at Austin | UT Austin

University of Texas at El Paso | UTEP

University of Texas at San Antonio | UTSA

University of Texas at Tyler | UT Tyler

University of Toledo

University of Tulsa

University of Utah

University of Vermont | UVM

University of Virginia | UVA

University of Washington

University of West Georgia | UWG

University of Wisconsin-Madison | Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin–Green Bay | UW–Green Bay

University of Wisconsin–La Crosse | UW–La Crosse

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee | UWM

University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point | UW–Stevens Point

University of Wyoming

Ursinus College

Utah State University

Utah Valley University | UVU

Vanderbilt University

Villanova University

Virginia Commonwealth University | VCU

Virginia Tech

Wagner College

Wake Forest University

Walsh University

Washburn University

Washington and Lee University

Washington College

Washington State University | WSU

Washington University in St. Louis | WashU

Wayne State University | WSU

Waynesburg University

Webster University

Wellesley College

Wesleyan University

West Texas A&M University | WTAMU

West Virginia University | WVU

West Virginia University at Parkersburg

Western Carolina University | WCU

Western Connecticut State University | WCSU

Western Kentucky University | WKU

Western Oregon University | WOU

Western State Colorado University

Westfield State University

Westmont College

Wheaton College (Massachusetts)

Whitman College

Whitworth University

Wichita State University | WSU

Willamette University

William Carey University | WCU

William Paterson University | WPUNJ

WIlliam Woods University | WWU

Williams College

Winthrop University | WU

Wisconsin Lutheran College | WLC

Wofford College

Worcester State University

Wright State University

Yale University

Yeshiva University

York College of Pennsylvania

York College, City University of New York | CUNY York