Stanford University’s MFA in Art Practice program accepts applicants with a range of backgrounds and experiences who have shown exceptional artistic promise, strong analytical skills and commitment to their art practice. The small class size contributes to an intimate environment where students are able to explore concepts through an array of approaches; this provides invaluable insight into the diverse practices of artists working today. This article also discusses stanford mfa ranking, best mfa art programs in the world.
The Stanford MFA program in Art Practice is one of the most selective programs in the country. But if you think that means only those with stellar grades and a long list of accomplishments will be accepted, think again.
The Stanford MFA program isn’t just looking for the best artists; it’s also looking for people who have something to say and are willing to take risks.
Stanford’s acceptance rate for the 2017-18 academic year was 13 percent — significantly lower than many other top-ranked graduate programs. So what makes this program so different?
Stanford Mfa Art Practice Acceptance Rate
The answer lies in the school’s philosophy: An emphasis on collaboration and community over competition. In addition to being one of the most prestigious art schools in the world, Stanford encourages students to work together on projects that often transcend traditional disciplines or mediums. For example, students might collaborate with architects or engineers on an installation project or write poetry inspired by their paintings or sculptures.
This collaborative spirit extends beyond campus as well: The school partners with local organizations like San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) to provide opportunities for students to show their work and gain valuable experience outside of class
The acceptance rate at Stanford’s MFA Art Practice program is just 13%, making it one of the most selective programs in the country.
The University of Iowa’s Intermedia Art MFA program is another top-tier art school that has a low acceptance rate. The University of Iowa’s Intermedia Art MFA program boasts an acceptance rate of 17%, which is slightly higher than Stanford’s, but still low compared with other top MFA programs across the country.
According to The New York Times, “the median acceptance rate for all master’s programs at American colleges and universities was about 30 percent.” However, there are some top-ranked schools that have even lower acceptance rates for their graduate programs than Stanford and UI do for their MFA programs in art practice.
The deadline to apply is November 1, 2017. The program accepts up to 15 students per year, and the acceptance rate is approximately 35%.
The Stanford MFA Art Practice program is a two-year, full-time program that begins in September of each year. The application deadline for fall 2019 is November 1, 2018. The application fee is $75.
The School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University offers an interdisciplinary MFA degree in Art Practice. This unique graduate program encourages students to pursue studio practice while engaging with contemporary art history and theory through a broad range of courses in the humanities and social sciences.
Stanford’s MFA in Art Practice Program is open to all applicants who have earned a bachelor’s degree or equivalent degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or abroad. Admission decisions are based on artistic merit; however, international students must also demonstrate English proficiency by submitting TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores no more than two years old at the time of application.
stanford mfa ranking
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
best mfa art programs in the world
Without further ado, here’s a list of the top twelve art schools in the world ranked by reputation and quality!
1: Rhode Island School of Design—Providence, Rhode Island (US)
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,044
Acceptance rate: 20%
About the School:
RISD is considered by many to be the best art and design school out there. With distinguished faculty members, extensive resources for students, and a strong career services department, RISD offers pretty much anything you could want in an art and design education. RISD also has an associated museum with thousands of works in its collection that span different time periods, cultures, and media.
2: School of the Art Institute of Chicago—Chicago, Illinois (US)
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,794
Acceptance rate: 57%
About the School:
School of the Art Institute of Chicago boasts a strong global reputation; its alumni include Georgia O’Keeffe, David Sedaris, and Edward Gorey (who is one of my favorite artists!). SAIC has an interdisciplinary curriculum, meaning that students are encouraged to experiment widely across artistic disciplines before deciding on the best medium for their ideas. The education at SAIC is highly customizable, encouraging students to be creative in combining different types of art.
Off-campus study is also required at SAIC. Students can fulfill this requirement through an internship program, study trip, or study abroad experience. This provides a bridge to the art world outside of college and helps students prepare for careers in the arts.
3: California Institute of the Arts—Valencia, California (US)
Undergraduate enrollment: 959
Acceptance rate: 27%
About the School:
CalArts is an internationally recognized art school that encourages students to go beyond the boundaries of traditional media. It has a strong focus on individualized attention for each student. Students are also given a high level of creative freedom and independence in their studies—artistic promise is the number one criteria for admission.
CalArts also participates in the Community Arts Partnership, which gives students the opportunity to teach art to youth in Los Angeles while gaining experience and earning an income. The Institute provides resources such as internships and mentoring programs for students to help them translate their artistic skills into a career after college.
4: Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design—London, England
Undergraduate enrollment: about 3,000
Acceptance rate: Not reported
About the School:
Central Saint Martins is a constituent college of the University of the Arts in London. It is considered one of the world’s leading institutions in art and design education. The college offers nine different areas of study to students, including Graphic Communication Design, Fine Art, and Jewelry and Textiles.
Students are encouraged to develop their ideas beyond the accepted boundaries of each artistic discipline and to always be open to new approaches and ideas. Facilities include digital fabrication studios, letterpress studios, a digital media lab, an animation lab, and more.
5: Parsons School of Design at The New School—New York City, New York (US)
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,430
Acceptance rate: 51%
About the School:
The New School emphasizes a design thinking approach to solving problems on a global scale. Parsons is dedicated to remaining on the cutting edge of arts education; it strives to continually embrace new trends and interdisciplinary approaches to the arts. It also has a community service and social justice focus, encouraging design projects that have tangible outcomes in the world. Parsons provides one-on-one career counseling to students as well as connections to jobs and internships through the Center for Student Success.
6: Berlin University of the Arts—Berlin, Germany
Enrollment: about 3,500
Acceptance rate: 20%
About the School:
The Berlin University of the Arts is the largest art school in Europe. Its faculty includes some of the most well-respected contemporary artists in the world, including Chinese artist and social activist Ai Weiwei. There are four colleges within the University system that specialize in Fine Arts, Music, Design, and Performing Arts.
Berlin University of the Arts has more than 170 international partnerships with other universities. The university hosts over 500 events every year and is a key cultural venue in the city. Students present their work to the public in exhibitions, concerts, dramatic productions, evenings of song, readings, and lectures.
body_berlinarts.jpgBerlin University of the Arts
7: Pratt Institute—New York City, New York (US)
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,675
Acceptance rate: 60%
About the School:
Pratt is at the center of the New York art scene, and is consistently ranked among the top art and design colleges in the world. A highly distinguished faculty made up of leaders in artistic fields means that students will make meaningful connections to the art world during their time at Pratt. Career Counseling services are excellent and have a high job placement rate after graduation. Pratt also sits on a beautiful enclosed campus that gives students a sanctuary apart from the hectic city life.
8: Aalto Univerity—Espoo, Finland
Enrollment: 12,113
Acceptance rate: Not Reported
About the School:
Aalto University is a relatively new public university: it was created in 2010 after three universities (the Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics, and the University of Art and Design Helsinki) merged into one. The goal was to create a university that fosters innovation across a number of disciplines, including engineering and business!
Despite being newer, the school has 90 different degree programs offered at the bachelors, masters, and PhD levels. Students have the opportunity to explore the intersection of technology, science, and art through interdisciplinary programs like Human-Centered Living Environments and Health and Wellbeing, which brings together neuroscience and design!
Aalto University offers programs in three languages, too: Finnish, English, and Swedish, too.
640px-Aalto_University_metro_station_(January_2019)
Aalto University
(Markus Säynevirta/Wikimedia)
9: Glasgow School of Art—Glasgow, Scotland
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,620
Acceptance rate: under 20%
About the School:
Glasgow School of Art is Scotland’s only public self-governing art school. It is divided into two campuses: the School of Fine Arts and the School of Design. GSA is at the head of research in creative disciplines, with research centers including the Digital Design Studio, the Institute of Design Innovation, the Mackintosh Environmental Architectural Research Institute, and the Glasgow Urban Lab.
Glasgow School of Art also has an extensive student and staff exchange program with about 75 of the world’s leading Art, Design and Architecture schools. Numerous alumni have won the Turner Prize, the most prestigious award in the British art scene given to one artist under 50 every year.
10: China Central Academy of Fine Arts—Beijing, China
Enrollment: about 4,700
Acceptance rate: Not Reported
About the School:
The China Central Academy of Fine Arts is one of the most selective schools in China and is considered China’s most prestigious art academy. It is made up of six specialty schools: the School of Fine Art, the School of Chinese Painting, the School of Design, the School of Architecture, the School of Humanities, and the School of Urban Design.
The School of Design has been heavily involved with national Chinese design projects, including designs for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Academy is also home to a huge museum that includes over 2,000 Chinese scroll paintings that date back to the Ming Dynasty.
11: National School of Fine Arts—Paris, France
Undergraduate enrollment: Not reported
Acceptance rate: Not reported
About the School:
The National School of Fine Arts holds 450,000 items in its collections in the form of books and artworks; this is one of the largest public collections in France. Faculty and alumni include many internationally recognized artists. The five-year curriculum is made up of two consecutive “cycles,” the first lasting three years and the second two years, in which students learn the fundamental practical and theoretical components of artistic creation.
12: Tokyo University of the Arts—Tokyo, Japan
Undergraduate enrollment: about 3,300
Acceptance rate: 30%
About the School:
As the only national arts university in Japan, Tokyo University of the Arts seeks to develop Japanese art and culture and emphasize a spirit of artistic freedom and creativity. Through collaboration with other universities and institutions, TUA works to create new forms of artistic expression and demonstrate the power of art to influence global trends. TUA also runs an exchange program with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
