Great schools for visual and performing arts: they say that art begins in the heart and mind and translates through the hand and the eye. These outstanding colleges and universities provide the nurturing environment where tomorrow's great artists, architects, animators, and designers flourish

Careers and Colleges, Nov-Dec, 2005

Alfred University ALFRED, NY TUITION: $20,150 ROOM/BOARD: $5,076 STUDENTS: 1,944

World-renowned faculty and unparalleled facilities make Alfred University's School of Art & Design internationally acclaimed, particularly for ceramic art and glass sculpture. A $35 million gift will enhance both visual and performing arts, including expansion of the award-winning Miller Performing Arts Center. BFA concentrations: art history, art education, ceramic art, drawing, graphic design, painting, photography, print, sculpture (glass, metal, neon, paper, wood), sonic, video. In Liberal Arts: BA in Fine Arts, as well as a theater major, minors in music, dance, www.alfred.edu

Chatham College PITTSBURGH, PA TUITION: $22,870 R/B: $7,410 STUDENTS: 1249

A Chatham College education is built upon strong academics, environmental awareness, public leadership, and global understanding. Chatham's new Art and Design Center features studios for ceramics, sculpture (including a kiln room), interior architecture, landscape architecture, painting, and printmaking. The Five-Year Master's Program enables students to earn a bachelor's and master's degree in as few as five years, while all first-year students are provided with a new HP tablet PC. Students may cross-register with other Pittsburgh colleges, including Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. www.chatham.edu

Clarkson University POTSDAM, NY TUITION: $25,186 R/B: $9,344 STUDENTS: 3,000

Clarkson is a private, nationally ranked research institution. High-ability students thrive in our rigorous programs in engineering, science, business, liberal arts, and health sciences. Through industry partnerships and a boundary-spanning approach to collaborative research and education, Clarkson graduates are fast-tracked for success. Visit our website and find out why our Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering has "one of the best undergraduate engineering programs in the country." (2005 U.S. News & World Report). Admission Policy: Early and Regular Decision. Competitive. www.clarkson.edu

Cornish College of the Arts SEATTLE, WA TUITION: $21,200 R/B: $5,800 STUDENTS: 760

For over ninety years, Cornish College of the Arts has educated students and nurtured artists who, as professionals, have consistently contributed to the culture of society. One of only three private, non-profit performing and visual arts colleges in the nation, Cornish offers a Bachelor of Music degree and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in art, dance, design, music, theater, and performance production. The academic programs are a distinctive blend of visual and performing arts grounded in a core curriculum of humanities and sciences, www.cornish.edu

Grand Canyon University PHOENIX, AZ TUITION $9,750 R/B: $7,130 STUDENTS: 1,289

Whether you desire to paint, sculpt, sing, work in technical theater, act, design, or develop as a musician, Grand Canyon University's liberal arts programs will prepare you for your future! Grand Canyon University is a private Christian University with high academic standards, small class sizes, awesome athletics, and dedicated professors--in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Here, you can study under a palm tree or relax in the sun on the "Quad"-does it get any better? Call now to find out! 1-800-800-9776 or www.gcu.net/cac

Lynn University BOCA RATON, FL TUITION: $24,700 R/B: $9,100 STUDENTS: 2,379

Located just three miles from the sunny beaches of the southeastern Florida coast, Lynn is small by design, providing you the best possible environment for interacting with your professors and fellow students. Our lively campus attracts students from nearly every U.S. state and 90 countries. Lynn's bachelor's degree programs in the College of International Communications include specializations in broadcasting, drama, film studies, graphic design, illustration/computer animation and photography. Our renowned Conservatory of Music offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in music performance and a professional performance certificate, www.lynn.edu

Point Park University PITTSBURGH, PA TUITION: $17,540 R/B: $3,710 STUDENTS: 3,400

Known for providing its students with a balanced combination of liberal arts and career education, Point Park's Conservatory of Performing Arts offers programs in cinema and digital arts, dance, film and video production, and theatre arts. Facilities are state-of-the-art: digital film labs, editing equipment, television studio, photography labs, and dance studios. A new complex for the Department of Dance opening in 2007 will house teaching, rehearsal, and performance studios designed to support the university's choreography, design and production, and digital cinema production. Independent and co-ed, www.pointpark.edu

Pratt Institute BROOKLYN, NY TUITION: $26,500 R/B: $3,710 STUDENTS: 3,400

Pratt Institute offers an outstanding undergraduate professional education taught by practicing professionals in art, design, architecture, and creative writing. Pratt offers most majors in art and design including fine art, graphic design, animation, interior, industrial, film, photo, and fashion design. In addition, Pratt offers the accredited 5-year architecture degree and a BA in critical and visual studies. A 25-acre tree-lined campus, an outstanding career services office, an active campus life outside the classroom, and residence halls on campus make Pratt an ideal choice, www.pratt.edu