Painting has a long history, from Paleolithic cave art in northern Spain to the works of artists such as Pablo Picasso. Across centuries, painters have used images, color, and materials to communicate ideas, document experience, and explore culture.
Fortunately, many institutions around the world offer painting-related degree programs. These schools can help students strengthen traditional techniques such as oil and acrylic painting while exploring contemporary, interdisciplinary, and digital approaches to art-making.
If you have an interest in and aptitude for painting, get your portfolio ready and consider applying to one of the universities on this list!
Top Painting Schools in the World
1. Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is among the most prominent postgraduate art and design institutions in the world. Founded in 1837 as the Government School of Design, RCA has a long history and a distinguished alumni community of artists, designers, writers, educators, and creative leaders.
RCA is a postgraduate art and design institution. Its Master of Arts in Painting is a world-renowned postgraduate program dedicated to painting. Students advance their studio practice through individual tutorials, group critiques, seminars, lectures, specialist facilities, and a community of faculty, students, and visiting experts.
At RCA, students are also encouraged to think about their art not in a vacuum, but as part of a broader tradition. As a student, you won’t just be painting; you’ll also examine the material, conceptual, social, and cultural contexts of your work.
2. University of the Arts London
The University of the Arts London is Europe’s largest specialist university for art and design and is made up of six colleges. It offers a wide range of programs that cater to a variety of interests.
At the undergraduate level, students can take the BA (Hons) Fine Art: Painting at Camberwell College of Arts. This program introduces students to contemporary, traditional, and expanded painting techniques. At the graduate level, UAL offers MA Fine Art: Painting at Camberwell as a full-time, 45-week course over 12 months, along with other fine art master’s options at its colleges.
UAL encourages students to think about how art responds to contemporary debates. In painting courses, students may explore subjects such as global art traditions, climate change, feminism, postcolonialism, social justice, and the professional art world.
3. Parsons School of Design
- Study Program
- Location: USA | Degrees Offered: Bachelor’s and Master’s
Parsons School of Design is a leading art and design school in the United States. Located in New York City’s Greenwich Village, part of one of the world’s major art and design centers, Parsons gives students access to museums, galleries, art fairs, libraries, and creative-industry networks.
While Parsons does not offer a dedicated degree titled painting, students can study Fine Arts at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The BFA and MFA Fine Arts programs support interdisciplinary practice and allow students to work across painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, installation, performance, sound, writing, and other media.
For aspiring artists, Parsons’ New York City setting can be a major advantage. Students are close to many cultural institutions and professional opportunities that can help them build networks while developing their artistic practice.
4. Rhode Island School of Design
The Rhode Island School of Design is another strong option for students interested in painting. RISD offers both a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in Painting. Its painting programs emphasize visual and technical skills, critical reasoning, historical and social context, and flexible exploration across media and styles.
RISD was founded in 1877 by a group of women who used surplus funding from the Rhode Island Women’s Centennial Commission to establish a school of art and design. Today, the school remains a nonprofit college and museum in Providence, Rhode Island, with a community that supports students across many creative disciplines.
5. School of the Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is another top school for painting that offers a flexible, interdisciplinary education centered on visual and related arts. As an undergraduate student, you do not have to declare a major, which gives you the freedom to explore different areas of the arts. At the graduate level, painters can consider the MFA in Studio through Painting and Drawing, a 60-credit program, or the Low-Residency MFA, a seven-semester transdisciplinary program that combines on-campus summer residencies with online study.
As an aspiring painter, you’ll work with the Department of Painting and Drawing. The department is an open, pluralistic community where experimentation and the study of historical and cultural discourses are foregrounded. Its faculty include working artists whose practices span a wide array of conceptual and material approaches to painting and drawing.
6. The Glasgow School of Art
Located in Glasgow, the Glasgow School of Art is a highly ranked specialist institution for art and design. What makes this school useful for artists interested in advanced study is its research pathway: GSA offers Ph.D. study based in one of its four schools, including Fine Art, with full-time and part-time options.
At the undergraduate level, the GSA offers a BA (Hons) Fine Art in Painting and Printmaking, the largest specialist program within the School of Fine Art. The school also offers a two-year Master of Fine Art program.
7. Pratt Institute
The Pratt Institute offers BFA and MFA Fine Arts programs through its School of Art. A Pratt education provides students with a personalized, exploratory experience that allows them to develop their own interests and skill sets. Although Pratt does not list a stand-alone degree simply called painting, students can pursue painting within the BFA Fine Arts program through a Painting emphasis and can study Painting and Drawing in the MFA Fine Arts curriculum.
While studying fine arts at Pratt, you’ll combine studio work with a broad education in the liberal arts and sciences. This reflects Pratt’s view that artists benefit from understanding the wider cultural, historical, and social contexts in which their work exists.
FAQs about Studying Painting
Which Career is Best for Artists?
There is no single best career for every artist. Painters may work as practicing artists, illustrators, art educators, curators, gallery or museum professionals, art directors, animators, designers, or digital artists. Many artists now combine traditional studio methods with digital tools, so students interested in painting may also benefit from courses in design, animation, visual effects, game art, and digital media. For international students who want to pursue graphic design, there are plenty of Design Courses that are available to students from your country.
We hope that this article on the Best Painting Schools in the World was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs for International Students to know more about studying abroad!
