We now have realized that you don’t need to spend the whole money to nurture and bring to life your artistic potential and skill. We could say this because of what we have seen so far in Europe.
Europe, providing some of the best art schools in the world, also provides a handful of free and very affordable Art schools. If you’re coming from the United States, you already know that the price tags on Art Programmes are hefty, and you’ll rarely see any programme that is free – I doubt there is any – except you’re fortunate to receive scholarships.
The best part is that these affordable Art schools in Europe don’t sacrifice excellence for low cost, in fact, some of them are ranked among the best in the world. So, if you’re looking for affordable top-notch art schools then you came to the right place.
You can also explore some painting schools and some art schools taught in English in Europe.
Without much ado let’s get started.
Affordable Art Schools in Europe
One of the reasons most of these schools provide free and very affordable Art programmes is because of the law in their country. Germany for instance has a law that both their citizens and international students studying in higher Institutions will receive a tuition-free education except for some Master’s programmes.
Anyway, let’s list these schools.
1. University of the Arts Bremen (Germany)
- Tuition: Free for all
One of the interesting things about studying at the University of the Arts Bremen is that they don’t only provide free education to their students, but also they provide high-quality educational facilities and an outstanding quality of life. No wonder more than 30,000 students study in this school.
Through their Faculty of Art and Design and Faculty of Music, they provide both bachelor’s and master’s Programmes in Fine Arts, Integrated Design, Digital Media, Performance, Music Education, Church Music and Orchestral Academy.
Regarding their fees, students only get to pay an administrative fee of €196.92 per semester.
2. Academy of Fine Arts Munich (Germany)
- Tuition: Free for all
Academy of Fine Arts Munich is not just one of the most affordable Art schools in Europe but it also presents students with a long history of over 200 years and is located in Munich’s artistic area, close to other universities, numerous museums and galleries. Another interesting thing is that the school endeavors to create a personal atmosphere for each student and this helps them to express their individual art talent.
Their Programmes include; Fine Arts, Art Pedagogy, Interior Design, Architecture and Art, Visual Arts and Therapy. Just like the University of the Arts Bremen you also need to pay a small administrative fee each semester which is in accordance with the government of Germany to their institutions.
3. University of Bergen (Norway)
| Norway Citizens, and students with citizenship from countries in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland | Free |
| Other International Students | 373,550 NOK (€32,509) |
At the Faculty of Fine Art, Music and Design (KMD) they have different BA, MA and PhD programmes based on an internationally recognised level of artistic research. The faculty has about 700 students and 190 staff members, of which approximately 130 are faculties/teachers.
The school is among the cheapest Art schools in Europe that provide BA (Norwegian) & MA in Fine Art; BA in Music Performance (Norwegian); BA in Musicology (Norwegian); MA in Music Performance; Bachelor in Design (Norwegian); MA in Design.
You’ll notice that all their bachelor’s degree Programmes are taught in Norwegian whereas their Master’s programmes are taught in English.
4. Academy of Arts, Architecture & Design in Prague – UMPRUM (Czech Republic)
| Programmes taught in the Czech Language | Free |
| English-taught Programmes | 168,000 CZK per year (approx. €6,900) |
UMPRUM is one of the affordable Art schools in Europe that corporates with other countries to provide world-class experience and education to their students. This includes participation in international exhibitions, shows and competitions, collaborations with international businesses and industries, science and research and publishing.
Their school is divided into the departments of architecture, design, fine arts, applied arts, graphic and theory and history of art. Each department is divided into studios according to their specialist area.
If you intend to study Ma in English, their 2-year Visual Art programme will be your only option. It also gives you access to one of their 24 studios which include; Architecture, Fashion Design, Animation and Film, Graphic Design and Visual Communication, Fine Arts, Photography, etc.
5. Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (Denmark)
| Nationals from within the EU, EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) or Switzerland | Free |
| Other International Students | Approximately €7,300 per semester |
Their school of Visual Art provides a 3-year BFA study programme and a 3-year MFA study programme. Students will benefit from Basic Studies, four Schools of Visual Arts, an Institute for Art, Writing and Research and laboratories for ceramics, construction, wood, plaster, 3D, graphics, colour, photography, video and sound.
6. Lund University – Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts (Sweden)
| Students from EU/EEA countries | Free |
| Other International Students | €23,000 annually |
The Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts at Lund University is among the affordable Art schools in Europe that is state-financed which helps to waive 100% tuition for Swedish Citizens, and students with citizenship from countries in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland. This faculty is made up of three institutions – Malmö Art Academy, Malmö Academy of Music, and Malmö Theatre Academy, which all offer a wide range of courses, study programmes and specialisations.
For international students who need to pay for school fees, the school provide scholarships that don’t need to be repaid, which can help to reduce their fees even further.
7. Lisbon School of Fine Arts (Portugal)
| Citizens or Permanent residents of Portugal and EU/EEA countries | Bachelor’s Degree (€697 annually) Postgraduate (€1,500 annually) Master’s Degree (€1,400 annually) |
| Other International Students | Bachelor’s Degree (€3,500 annually) Postgraduate (€1,500 annually) Master’s Degree (€4,000: first year students; €2,000 2nd year students annually) PhDs (€2,750 first year; €1,500 subsequent years annually) |
The University of Lisbon is not just among the cheapest Art schools in Europe, it is undoubtedly the best University in Portugal, the 5th best in Ibero-American Space, 28th best in Europe, and #131 in the World by Scimago Ranking.
The school provide several Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral Degree Art Programmes through their Faculty of Fine Arts.
8. Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (Austria)
| Students from Austria or EU/EEA countries | €363.36 per semester |
| Other International Students | €726.72 per semester |
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna is recognized as one of Austria’s most traditional art universities, and for more than 325 years they have been a home for lots of potential artists. Their long history has made their Painting Gallery and Graphic Collection rank among Austria’s most significant art collections.
They provide different Art Programmes to Undergraduate and Graduate students.
9. Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (France)
- Tuition: €438 which must be added €92 for the student life contribution (CVEC) and Campus, regardless of your nationality or your country of origin.
This is one of the few most affordable Art schools in Europe that provides a preparatory class for 50 students regardless of country, background, culture, etc., who want to enrol in the school. These students have a 95% success rate.
Note that all courses are taught in French so you need to have a good knowledge of the language to apply, B2 level in French is strongly recommended.
10. Vilnius Academy of Arts (Lithuania)
| BA study programmes | €5,065 per year |
| MA study programmes | €6,495 per year |
Besides the fact that Vilnius Academy of Arts provides one of the most affordable Art programmes in Europe, they also provide scholarships to some international citizens to help reduce their fees further. Some of their Art Programmes include;
- Architecture studies program
- Design studies program
- Photography, Animation and Media Arts Studies program
- Graphic design studies program
- Interior Design Studies program
- Painting studies program
Etc.
Conclusion
You will notice that Europe provides several free and affordable Art schools, and the best part is that they provide top-notch education, with some of these schools ranking among the best in the world. That means they didn’t sacrifice quality for affordability, which is very fulfilling for talented and passionate artists who want to receive top-notch education without breaking the bank.
