The Carnegie Mellon University School of Art is proud to announce that it has been ranked #2 in the country in the 2026 edition of the U.S. News & World Report Best Fine Arts Programs.
Released on April 7, 2026, U.S. News & World Report recognized the School of Art in a tie for the #2 Best Fine Arts Program, marking its highest national ranking to date. This achievement underscores the success of a multi-year effort to redefine graduate arts education and is part of a broader success for Carnegie Mellon University, which saw several graduate programs rise in this year’s national rankings.
The announcement also arrives at a poignant moment for the school, as Charlie White prepares to conclude his 10-year term as Head of School at the end of the 2025-26 academic year. “Seeing the School of Art recognized in this way is a profound testament to the collective work of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni,” White said. “By eliminating the burden of tuition and prioritizing our program’s intimate size, purpose-built facilities, and committed MFA core faculty, we have built a program that truly champions the artist’s voice. This moment is the culmination of our shared efforts to define what a premier MFA education can and should be in the world today.”
A Transformed MFA Experience
The #2 ranking follows several years of strategic growth and investment in the Master of Fine Arts program. Since 2020, the School of Art has implemented a series of landmark changes designed to support the ambitious work of global artists.
- Full Tuition Funding: In 2023, the School announced full tuition funding for every MFA student, removing financial barriers and allowing artists to focus exclusively on their artistic practice and research goals.
- New Graduate Studio Complex: In 2020, the program moved into a dedicated, state-of-the-art MFA facility in the Hall of the Arts, providing students with expanded private studios and communal spaces.
- Thesis Exhibition Partnership: For the last two years, the School has partnered with The Andy Warhol Museum to host its annual MFA Thesis Exhibition, placing the students’ work in a major institution with a unique connection to CMU, given Warhol’s own history as a School of Art alum. The 2026 exhibition, “Time-Honored Non-Specifics,” is currently on view through April 12.
- Curricular and Administrative Structure: The program significantly re-envisioned its curriculum to emphasize critical inquiry and interdisciplinary practice. In 2025, the School appointed artist and faculty member Lyndon Barrois Jr. as director of the MFA program and artist Shikeith as a Visiting MFA Core Faculty member.
About the MFA Program
The Carnegie Mellon University School of Art MFA Program is an interdisciplinary, experimental, research-based program that provides students with a challenging and supportive context to expand and develop their work and thinking as artists. CMU views artmaking as a vital social, critical, and intellectual pursuit. Graduate students are encouraged to use comparative and intersectional approaches to critical and cultural theory, allowing this inquiry to inform and expand what it means to make art within the contemporary condition.