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Fine and Studio Arts Degree

385 schools compared · Average earnings $25,391/yr

Students study drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and other visual art forms through intensive studio practice alongside art history and critical theory. Graduates typically pursue careers as practicing artists, gallery directors, art educators, museum professionals, and creative directors, often combining studio practice with other professional roles. While the path to becoming a full-time artist is competitive, fine arts training develops creativity and visual thinking valued across many fields.

What Fine and Studio Arts Graduates Do

Your Fine and Studio Arts degree opens doors beyond the solitary studio. Many graduates move into leadership roles like Art Director, where your day involves guiding creative teams, reviewing design concepts for ad campaigns, and pitching visual strategies to clients. You’ll likely start as a graphic designer, building a portfolio to eventually lead projects. Others enter the entertainment industry as Animators or Special Effects Artists, using complex software to build worlds and characters for film and games, often starting as a production assistant or junior animator.

A significant number of graduates find stable careers in education. As a high school art teacher, your focus is less on your own art and more on classroom management, lesson planning for diverse skill levels, and inspiring the next generation of creators.

While some traditional paths like fine artist and jeweler face headwinds, roles like Art Director and Museum Conservator are growing. AI's impact is varied. For digital roles like animator or art director, AI will automate significant parts of your work, changing your daily tasks and requiring you to adapt. However, the hands-on, interpersonal nature of careers like teaching or museum conservation provides a genuine buffer against automation, making human skill the core of the job.

Schools Offering

385

Avg Grad Earnings

$25,391/yr

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

30/100

AI Automation Risk

Moderate

40% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Fine and Studio Arts graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 118,400 combined openings per year.

Career Path	Salary Range	Openings/yr	Growth	AI Risk
Art directors	$111,040 $80K$160K	12,300	+4.2%	50%
Special effects artists and animators	$99,800 $73K$136K	5,000	+1.6%	52%
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary	$80,190 $61K$122K	9,000	+1.7%	44%
Artists and related workers, all other	$72,760 $45K$112K	1,200	+0.8%	0%
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	$64,580 $58K$83K	66,200	-1.6%	33%
Curators	$61,770 $47K$81K	1,800	+7.0%	50%
Archivists	$61,570 $48K$80K	1,100	+3.8%	50%
Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators	$60,560 $40K$90K	2,200	-1.2%	43%
Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers	$49,140 $38K$63K	4,000	-5.5%	23%
Museum technicians and conservators	$47,460 $37K$63K	1,900	+5.4%	24%
Photographers	$42,520 $35K$62K	12,700	+1.8%	39%
Craft artists	$38,480 $31K$52K	1,000	+2.1%	26%

Art directors

$111,040

$80K $160K

12,300 openings/yr +4.2% growth 50% AI risk

Special effects artists and animators

$99,800

$73K $136K

5,000 openings/yr +1.6% growth 52% AI risk

Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary

$80,190

$61K $122K

9,000 openings/yr +1.7% growth 44% AI risk

Artists and related workers, all other

$72,760

$45K $112K

1,200 openings/yr +0.8% growth 0% AI risk

Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education

$64,580

$58K $83K

66,200 openings/yr -1.6% growth 33% AI risk

Curators

$61,770

$47K $81K

1,800 openings/yr +7.0% growth 50% AI risk

Archivists

$61,570

$48K $80K

1,100 openings/yr +3.8% growth 50% AI risk

Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators

$60,560

$40K $90K

2,200 openings/yr -1.2% growth 43% AI risk

Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers

$49,140

$38K $63K

4,000 openings/yr -5.5% growth 23% AI risk

Museum technicians and conservators

$47,460

$37K $63K

1,900 openings/yr +5.4% growth 24% AI risk

Photographers

$42,520

$35K $62K

12,700 openings/yr +1.8% growth 39% AI risk

Craft artists

$38,480

$31K $52K

1,000 openings/yr +2.1% growth 26% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Fine and Studio Arts

Top 20 of 385 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

#	School	DW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA	58 53–59	$36,006/yr	18.8x
2	California State University-East Bay Hayward, CA	49 44–50	$33,220/yr	18.3x
3	Empire State University Saratoga Springs, NY	47 41–47	$39,946/yr	12.1x
4	University of Massachusetts-Lowell Lowell, MA	47 41–47	$36,236/yr	8.6x
5	Fort Hays State University Hays, KS	47 42–48	$31,909/yr	21.1x
6	University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE	46 40–47	$40,501/yr	12.2x
7	Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ	45 39–45	$44,529/yr	6.7x
8	University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD	44 39–45	$32,031/yr	11.3x
9	University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI	43 37–44	$38,585/yr	11.5x
10	Texas Woman's University Denton, TX	43 37–43	$35,115/yr	12.1x
11	University of Georgia Athens, GA	43 37–43	$34,056/yr	10.5x
12	University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL	43 38–44	$31,770/yr	16.5x
13	Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato, MN	42 37–43	$38,717/yr	10.2x
14	Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA	42 36–42	$35,846/yr	14.1x
15	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT	42 37–43	$33,081/yr	11.9x
16	Montana State University Bozeman, MT	42 37–42	$32,265/yr	13.2x
17	University of Wyoming Laramie, WY	42 38–42	$27,156/yr	16.8x
18	Fashion Institute of Technology New York, NY	42 39–42	$23,428/yr	20.2x
19	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA	41 35–41	$36,927/yr	7.1x
20	Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Stillwater, OK	41 35–41	$36,547/yr	7.9x
21	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI	41 36–42	$34,582/yr	11.2x
22	Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL	41 37–42	$28,726/yr	20.4x
23	Nicholls State University Thibodaux, LA	40 35–40	$33,877/yr	9.4x
24	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO	40 35–41	$31,144/yr	11.2x
25	Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL	40 35–41	$30,845/yr	9.8x
26	CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY	40 36–40	$27,582/yr	14.7x
27	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL	40 36–40	$26,785/yr	18.2x
28	Athens State University Athens, AL	39 34–40	$38,006/yr	—
29	University of Wisconsin-Platteville Platteville, WI	39 33–39	$37,379/yr	9.6x
30	University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL	39 33–39	$35,123/yr	6.5x
31	Brigham Young University Provo, UT	39 34–40	$34,241/yr	12.6x
32	James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA	39 34–40	$33,501/yr	8.3x
33	The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ	39 34–40	$33,214/yr	6.5x
34	Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN	39 35–40	$30,051/yr	11.2x
35	Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development Santa Fe, NM	39 34–40	$29,835/yr	11.9x
36	Kansas State University Manhattan, KS	39 34–39	$28,218/yr	10.8x
37	University of Houston-Clear Lake Houston, TX	39 36–40	$25,274/yr	15.0x
38	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA	38 32–38	$50,161/yr	1.2x
39	Binghamton University Vestal, NY	38 34–38	$25,751/yr	11.7x
40	California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA	38 34–38	$25,359/yr	15.1x
41	University of West Georgia Carrollton, GA	38 35–38	$25,093/yr	17.2x
42	Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY	37 31–37	$51,435/yr	1.0x
43	Illinois State University Normal, IL	37 32–38	$35,967/yr	6.1x
44	Utah State University Logan, UT	37 32–38	$33,552/yr	9.9x
45	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX	37 32–38	$32,088/yr	8.8x
46	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI	37 32–38	$31,985/yr	9.9x
47	McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA	37 32–37	$31,226/yr	8.2x
48	Indiana University-Southeast New Albany, IN	37 32–37	$31,194/yr	8.5x
49	Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH	37 32–37	$29,053/yr	13.9x
50	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH	37 32–37	$29,053/yr	13.9x
51	Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH	37 32–37	$29,053/yr	13.9x
52	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH	37 32–37	$29,053/yr	13.9x
53	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH	37 32–37	$29,053/yr	13.9x
54	Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL	37 34–37	$22,967/yr	17.1x
55	California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA	37 34–37	$22,839/yr	15.3x
56	California State University-Channel Islands Camarillo, CA	37 34–37	$22,129/yr	16.0x
57	Barnard College New York, NY	36 30–36	$39,947/yr	0.5x
58	University of South Carolina-Upstate Spartanburg, SC	36 30–36	$35,203/yr	7.3x
59	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX	36 31–37	$34,428/yr	7.8x
60	Westfield State University Westfield, MA	36 31–36	$33,440/yr	7.8x
61	Shepherd University Shepherdstown, WV	36 31–37	$33,059/yr	9.9x
62	University of Missouri-St Louis Saint Louis, MO	36 31–37	$32,224/yr	7.7x
63	Western Oregon University Monmouth, OR	36 31–36	$31,917/yr	6.2x
64	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	36 31–37	$31,367/yr	6.5x
65	Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX	36 31–36	$30,999/yr	7.4x
66	University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL	36 31–37	$30,809/yr	10.6x
67	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC	36 31–36	$30,577/yr	7.6x
68	Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA	36 31–36	$29,595/yr	9.2x
69	University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE	36 32–36	$28,942/yr	11.5x
70	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Whitewater, WI	36 32–36	$26,122/yr	12.4x
71	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC	36 33–37	$25,855/yr	13.9x
72	University of Massachusetts-Boston Boston, MA	35 29–35	$36,980/yr	5.0x
73	Midwestern State University Wichita Falls, TX	35 29–35	$35,589/yr	6.9x
74	University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, AR	35 31–36	$30,733/yr	10.5x
75	University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO	35 30–36	$30,663/yr	8.4x
76	Towson University Towson, MD	35 30–35	$29,958/yr	8.9x
77	Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN	35 31–36	$29,084/yr	10.4x
78	Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA	35 31–36	$29,035/yr	11.2x
79	University of Southern Indiana Evansville, IN	35 30–35	$28,890/yr	9.7x
80	SUNY Brockport Brockport, NY	35 31–35	$26,855/yr	11.5x
81	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA	35 31–35	$26,709/yr	5.9x
82	CUNY Queens College Queens, NY	35 32–35	$24,910/yr	13.1x
83	CUNY City College New York, NY	35 32–36	$24,742/yr	13.5x
84	Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC	35 32–36	$24,253/yr	18.5x
85	University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA	35 32–35	$23,530/yr	17.2x
86	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL	35 33–36	$23,324/yr	15.6x
87	Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA	34 28–34	$35,938/yr	1.3x
88	Keene State College Keene, NH	34 29–35	$31,390/yr	4.3x
89	Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO	34 29–34	$30,143/yr	7.6x
90	University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI	34 30–35	$30,077/yr	6.4x
91	University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE	34 29–34	$28,783/yr	9.4x
92	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA	34 30–35	$28,008/yr	9.4x
93	Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN	34 29–34	$27,775/yr	10.2x
94	University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	34 30–35	$27,740/yr	10.7x
95	Troy University Troy, AL	34 30–34	$26,917/yr	10.2x
96	University of Houston Houston, TX	34 30–34	$26,482/yr	10.4x
97	Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Indiana, PA	34 31–35	$25,694/yr	9.8x
98	Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID	34 31–35	$25,081/yr	16.4x
99	CUNY Hunter College New York, NY	34 32–35	$22,788/yr	13.8x
100	CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY	34 32–35	$22,633/yr	13.6x
101	California State University-Chico Chico, CA	34 32–34	$22,628/yr	12.9x
102	California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA	34 31–34	$21,493/yr	14.1x
103	University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA	34 32–34	$20,368/yr	8.8x
104	Texas A & M International University Laredo, TX	34 32–35	$19,300/yr	13.8x
105	Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX	33 27–33	$38,154/yr	1.4x
106	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL	33 27–33	$33,285/yr	5.8x
107	Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY	33 28–33	$31,907/yr	2.4x
108	Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY	33 28–33	$31,448/yr	7.5x
109	Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead, MN	33 29–34	$30,521/yr	8.6x
110	University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage, AK	33 28–34	$30,311/yr	9.7x
111	Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN	33 28–33	$29,344/yr	8.0x
112	University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI	33 28–33	$29,334/yr	9.4x
113	Framingham State University Framingham, MA	33 28–33	$28,843/yr	5.2x
114	University of Wisconsin-River Falls River Falls, WI	33 29–34	$28,801/yr	10.0x
115	Ball State University Muncie, IN	33 29–33	$28,405/yr	8.9x
116	Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX	33 29–34	$27,259/yr	7.7x
117	SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY	33 30–34	$27,031/yr	10.7x
118	Rowan University Glassboro, NJ	33 29–33	$26,119/yr	7.2x
119	The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX	33 30–34	$25,156/yr	9.2x
120	University of South Florida Tampa, FL	33 30–33	$24,818/yr	13.1x
121	California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	33 30–34	$24,538/yr	13.2x
122	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT	33 30–33	$24,419/yr	6.9x
123	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT	33 30–33	$24,419/yr	6.9x
124	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT	33 30–33	$24,419/yr	6.9x
125	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT	33 30–33	$24,419/yr	6.9x
126	SUNY Buffalo State University Buffalo, NY	33 30–34	$24,041/yr	11.8x
127	University of West Florida Pensacola, FL	33 30–34	$23,843/yr	13.7x
128	Utah Tech University Saint George, UT	33 30–34	$23,524/yr	14.3x
129	University of Idaho Moscow, ID	33 30–33	$22,617/yr	11.7x
130	California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA	33 30–33	$22,167/yr	13.5x
131	California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA	33 31–33	$20,203/yr	13.4x
132	American University Washington, DC	32 27–33	$35,115/yr	0.6x
133	North Park University Chicago, IL	32 26–32	$33,276/yr	1.4x
134	Cornell University Ithaca, NY	32 27–32	$31,073/yr	1.8x
135	University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI	32 28–33	$30,503/yr	7.7x
136	Plymouth State University Plymouth, NH	32 28–33	$30,491/yr	6.4x
137	William & Mary Williamsburg, VA	32 28–33	$29,752/yr	4.2x
138	Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH	32 27–32	$29,203/yr	7.9x
139	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH	32 27–32	$29,186/yr	7.1x
140	Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI	32 28–33	$28,289/yr	4.8x
141	Rhode Island College Providence, RI	32 28–33	$28,241/yr	8.6x
142	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ	32 28–32	$27,762/yr	8.0x
143	Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN	32 28–33	$27,595/yr	9.0x
144	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK	32 28–33	$27,218/yr	9.7x
145	Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN	32 28–32	$27,114/yr	5.8x
146	Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT	32 29–33	$26,549/yr	8.2x
147	Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO	32 28–32	$26,102/yr	9.2x
148	University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD	32 29–33	$25,327/yr	10.3x
149	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR	32 29–33	$24,970/yr	10.2x
150	University of Nevada-Reno Reno, NV	32 29–32	$24,906/yr	10.5x
151	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC	32 29–32	$24,005/yr	10.8x
152	Eastern Connecticut State University Willimantic, CT	32 29–32	$23,534/yr	8.4x
153	East Carolina University Greenville, NC	32 30–33	$21,271/yr	13.1x
154	Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA	32 30–33	$21,214/yr	14.5x
155	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH	31 27–32	$31,128/yr	5.9x
156	Vermont State University Randolph, VT	31 26–31	$30,233/yr	7.0x
157	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH	31 26–31	$29,431/yr	6.4x
158	Missouri Southern State University Joplin, MO	31 26–31	$29,309/yr	8.4x
159	University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR	31 27–32	$28,604/yr	8.5x
160	Texas State University San Marcos, TX	31 27–31	$28,445/yr	7.6x
161	Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, MO	31 27–31	$28,421/yr	8.5x
162	Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ	31 27–32	$27,762/yr	—
163	Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA	31 27–31	$27,535/yr	7.6x
164	University of North Texas Denton, TX	31 27–32	$27,067/yr	8.4x
165	University of Memphis Memphis, TN	31 27–31	$26,451/yr	8.9x
166	Salem State University Salem, MA	31 28–32	$26,180/yr	8.2x
167	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA	31 28–32	$25,947/yr	8.1x
168	University of Washington-Bothell Campus Bothell, WA	31 28–32	$25,947/yr	8.1x
169	San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA	31 28–32	$24,606/yr	11.3x
170	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT	31 28–32	$24,419/yr	5.7x
171	University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY	31 28–31	$24,370/yr	9.2x
172	San Diego State University San Diego, CA	31 29–32	$23,186/yr	11.3x
173	Western Washington University Bellingham, WA	31 28–31	$23,102/yr	10.3x
174	Columbus State University Columbus, GA	31 29–32	$22,798/yr	8.9x
175	Georgia State University Atlanta, GA	31 29–32	$21,226/yr	11.5x
176	Salisbury University Salisbury, MD	31 29–32	$20,632/yr	10.2x
177	University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA	30 25–31	$38,820/yr	0.9x
178	Syracuse University Syracuse, NY	30 25–31	$32,636/yr	0.3x
179	Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA	30 25–31	$32,597/yr	0.3x
180	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ	30 26–31	$30,683/yr	5.7x
181	Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI	30 25–30	$28,890/yr	5.6x
182	University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC	30 26–30	$27,467/yr	7.0x
183	University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO	30 26–30	$27,236/yr	8.3x
184	Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA	30 26–30	$26,123/yr	9.0x
185	Kean University Union, NJ	30 26–30	$25,928/yr	7.2x
186	SUNY College at Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY	30 26–30	$25,762/yr	9.3x
187	University of Missouri-Kansas City Kansas City, MO	30 26–30	$25,476/yr	7.9x
188	Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA	30 27–30	$25,269/yr	7.4x
189	University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA	30 27–30	$24,095/yr	9.5x
190	University of Maryland-Baltimore County Baltimore, MD	30 27–30	$23,879/yr	7.9x
191	West Virginia University Morgantown, WV	30 27–30	$23,043/yr	9.8x
192	North Carolina Central University Durham, NC	30 27–30	$21,980/yr	7.4x
193	University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC	30 28–30	$18,745/yr	12.0x
194	Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC	30 28–30	$16,454/yr	9.4x
195	Connecticut College New London, CT	29 23–29	$36,564/yr	0.8x
196	Fordham University Bronx, NY	29 23–29	$35,929/yr	1.1x
197	Williams College Williamstown, MA	29 24–30	$34,560/yr	1.3x
198	Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH	29 25–30	$29,053/yr	5.7x
199	University of Louisville Louisville, KY	29 25–30	$28,485/yr	6.2x
200	Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY	29 25–29	$28,291/yr	6.5x
201	Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL	29 26–30	$26,795/yr	7.1x
202	Western Illinois University Macomb, IL	29 25–29	$26,196/yr	6.2x
203	Angelo State University San Angelo, TX	29 26–30	$24,783/yr	9.5x
204	University of Vermont Burlington, VT	29 26–30	$24,497/yr	5.5x
205	Indiana University-South Bend South Bend, IN	29 27–30	$23,308/yr	6.1x
206	University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO	29 26–29	$23,034/yr	7.2x
207	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL	29 27–30	$21,836/yr	8.5x
208	California State University-Stanislaus Turlock, CA	29 27–30	$21,288/yr	11.1x
209	Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA	29 27–30	$21,255/yr	12.0x
210	Truman State University Kirksville, MO	29 27–29	$15,998/yr	10.4x
211	Dartmouth College Hanover, NH	28 24–29	$30,246/yr	0.2x
212	Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ	28 24–29	$29,353/yr	2.2x
213	Wichita State University Wichita, KS	28 24–28	$27,518/yr	6.7x
214	Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction, CO	28 24–29	$27,136/yr	7.1x
215	Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY	28 25–28	$25,596/yr	7.7x
216	Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA	28 25–29	$24,990/yr	7.4x
217	Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ	28 25–29	$24,172/yr	3.8x
218	Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO	28 26–29	$24,024/yr	9.1x
219	University of Florida Gainesville, FL	28 25–29	$23,793/yr	10.1x
220	The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX	28 25–29	$23,551/yr	9.1x
221	University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, NC	28 26–29	$23,504/yr	9.9x
222	Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond, LA	28 26–29	$23,405/yr	9.6x
223	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA	28 25–28	$23,348/yr	7.7x
224	Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC	28 25–28	$23,121/yr	4.0x
225	Kenyon College Gambier, OH	28 26–29	$23,082/yr	-0.2x
226	Fort Lewis College Durango, CO	28 25–28	$22,754/yr	8.9x
227	University of California-Davis Davis, CA	28 26–29	$22,700/yr	6.6x
228	Florida International University Miami, FL	28 26–29	$22,334/yr	10.5x
229	Appalachian State University Boone, NC	28 26–29	$22,120/yr	10.3x
230	Rutgers University-Camden Camden, NJ	28 26–29	$21,908/yr	6.2x
231	Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ	28 26–29	$21,908/yr	6.1x
232	Rutgers University-Newark Newark, NJ	28 26–29	$21,908/yr	6.4x
233	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN	28 26–29	$21,766/yr	9.0x
234	University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	28 26–28	$21,220/yr	7.4x
235	University of Southern Maine Portland, ME	28 26–29	$21,058/yr	8.8x
236	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, CA	28 26–28	$21,052/yr	10.2x
237	University of South Alabama Mobile, AL	28 26–28	$20,527/yr	9.3x
238	University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC	28 26–29	$20,072/yr	10.9x
239	Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN	28 26–29	$19,157/yr	10.3x
240	Auburn University at Montgomery Montgomery, AL	28 27–29	$18,223/yr	10.0x
241	Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX	28 27–29	$17,507/yr	9.9x
242	University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA	28 26–29	$16,989/yr	7.6x
243	University of Denver Denver, CO	27 23–28	$28,964/yr	0.2x
244	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL	27 23–28	$28,669/yr	4.2x
245	Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA	27 23–27	$27,210/yr	1.8x
246	Lee University Cleveland, TN	27 24–28	$26,598/yr	1.9x
247	Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL	27 23–27	$26,213/yr	5.5x
248	University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN	27 23–27	$25,660/yr	5.7x
249	Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX	27 24–27	$25,362/yr	7.0x
250	Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL	27 24–28	$25,259/yr	6.4x
251	Marshall University Huntington, WV	27 24–27	$24,475/yr	7.7x
252	University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA	27 24–28	$24,013/yr	6.3x
253	William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ	27 24–28	$23,892/yr	6.1x
254	Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI	27 24–28	$23,786/yr	6.7x
255	Radford University Radford, VA	27 24–27	$23,308/yr	7.0x
256	University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA	27 24–27	$23,214/yr	2.8x
257	University of Delaware Newark, DE	27 25–28	$21,935/yr	6.2x
258	University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA	27 25–27	$21,777/yr	6.4x
259	Murray State University Murray, KY	27 25–27	$21,715/yr	8.6x
260	The New School New York, NY	27 25–28	$20,967/yr	-0.1x
261	Grinnell College Grinnell, IA	27 25–27	$20,111/yr	-0.2x
262	Bard College at Simon's Rock Great Barrington, MA	27 25–27	$19,327/yr	-0.3x
263	Bard College Annandale-On-Hudson, NY	27 25–27	$19,327/yr	-0.2x
264	New Jersey City University Jersey City, NJ	27 25–28	$19,326/yr	7.3x
265	Emporia State University Emporia, KS	27 26–28	$19,276/yr	10.6x
266	Kent State University at Stark North Canton, OH	27 26–28	$19,138/yr	10.6x
267	Ringling College of Art and Design Sarasota, FL	27 25–27	$18,932/yr	-0.1x
268	Cleveland Institute of Art Cleveland, OH	27 25–27	$18,839/yr	-0.0x
269	University of Mississippi University, MS	27 25–27	$18,337/yr	9.4x
270	North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC	27 25–27	$15,257/yr	11.1x
271	California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA	27 26–28	$14,447/yr	11.0x
272	George Fox University Newberg, OR	26 21–26	$31,401/yr	1.5x
273	Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY	26 22–27	$30,480/yr	1.4x
274	Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN	26 21–27	$29,986/yr	2.3x
275	University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL	26 23–26	$25,150/yr	5.4x
276	Stockton University Galloway, NJ	26 23–27	$25,099/yr	5.3x
277	Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH	26 23–27	$24,912/yr	4.8x
278	Frostburg State University Frostburg, MD	26 23–26	$24,649/yr	6.4x
279	Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI	26 23–26	$24,540/yr	5.6x
280	Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI	26 23–26	$24,135/yr	5.6x
281	College of Charleston Charleston, SC	26 23–27	$24,070/yr	6.4x
282	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN	26 23–26	$23,661/yr	6.1x
283	University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA	26 23–27	$23,372/yr	4.5x
284	Brown University Providence, RI	26 24–27	$23,180/yr	1.7x
285	SUNY College at Potsdam Potsdam, NY	26 23–26	$22,964/yr	7.7x
286	University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL	26 23–26	$21,954/yr	6.2x
287	Montclair State University Montclair, NJ	26 24–27	$21,934/yr	6.4x
288	University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA	26 23–26	$21,792/yr	6.3x
289	Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA	26 23–26	$21,542/yr	8.1x
290	University at Albany Albany, NY	26 24–27	$20,116/yr	3.8x
291	Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN	26 25–27	$19,231/yr	8.7x
292	University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM	26 24–26	$19,227/yr	9.2x
293	Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA	26 25–27	$18,420/yr	-0.3x
294	Augusta University Augusta, GA	26 24–26	$16,943/yr	4.2x
295	Moravian University Bethlehem, PA	25 22–26	$26,472/yr	0.3x
296	University of Oregon Eugene, OR	25 21–26	$26,404/yr	3.9x
297	University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA	25 22–25	$23,150/yr	6.5x
298	Wright State University-Main Campus Dayton, OH	25 23–26	$22,631/yr	6.9x
299	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX	25 23–26	$21,891/yr	7.4x
300	Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI	25 23–26	$21,773/yr	2.6x
301	University of Toledo Toledo, OH	25 23–25	$21,392/yr	6.4x
302	University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI	25 23–25	$21,167/yr	5.4x
303	Wayne State University Detroit, MI	25 23–26	$20,948/yr	6.1x
304	Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL	25 22–25	$20,826/yr	6.5x
305	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	25 23–25	$20,192/yr	5.4x
306	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	25 23–25	$19,566/yr	5.7x
307	The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX	25 23–25	$19,506/yr	7.8x
308	Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA	25 24–26	$19,413/yr	7.7x
309	University of Wisconsin-La Crosse La Crosse, WI	25 23–25	$19,407/yr	7.9x
310	University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI	25 24–26	$17,626/yr	7.4x
311	Laguna College of Art and Design Laguna Beach, CA	25 24–26	$8,482/yr	-0.4x
312	University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH	24 22–25	$22,837/yr	5.4x
313	The University of Montana Missoula, MT	24 22–25	$22,149/yr	6.6x
314	Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA	24 22–24	$21,916/yr	4.8x
315	Lander University Greenwood, SC	24 22–25	$21,605/yr	6.4x
316	University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA	24 21–24	$21,106/yr	5.2x
317	Portland State University Portland, OR	24 22–25	$20,866/yr	6.4x
318	Shawnee State University Portsmouth, OH	24 23–25	$19,261/yr	7.7x
319	State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz, NY	24 22–24	$18,842/yr	7.7x
320	University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA	24 22–25	$18,072/yr	5.3x
321	University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Chickasha, OK	24 23–25	$14,912/yr	3.1x
322	University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras San Juan, PR	24 23–25	$4,699/yr	9.6x
323	University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA	23 18–23	$28,469/yr	1.0x
324	New York University New York, NY	23 20–24	$25,053/yr	1.6x
325	Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH	23 20–24	$23,352/yr	4.0x
326	Wheaton College Wheaton, IL	23 21–24	$23,202/yr	0.3x
327	Oglethorpe University Atlanta, GA	23 20–24	$22,866/yr	0.2x
328	Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI	23 21–24	$22,840/yr	4.3x
329	Full Sail University Winter Park, FL	23 21–24	$22,603/yr	1.1x
330	Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, OH	23 20–23	$22,239/yr	0.1x
331	Temple University Philadelphia, PA	23 20–23	$22,108/yr	3.4x
332	Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, MA	23 21–24	$21,461/yr	4.8x
333	University of South Carolina Aiken Aiken, SC	23 21–23	$19,963/yr	5.6x
334	Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH	23 21–23	$19,138/yr	5.6x
335	Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI	23 21–23	$18,117/yr	5.3x
336	University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO	23 21–24	$17,501/yr	5.1x
337	Morehead State University Morehead, KY	23 21–23	$17,301/yr	6.6x
338	Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC	23 22–24	$16,817/yr	5.4x
339	University of Kansas Lawrence, KS	23 21–23	$16,629/yr	6.4x
340	SUNY at Purchase College Purchase, NY	23 22–24	$14,984/yr	7.5x
341	Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico San Juan, PR	23 22–24	$7,453/yr	2.8x
342	Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Norton, MA	22 18–23	$28,574/yr	0.8x
343	DePaul University Chicago, IL	22 18–22	$27,291/yr	1.3x
344	Berea College Berea, KY	22 20–22	$20,036/yr	0.0x
345	Flagler College Saint Augustine, FL	22 20–22	$18,694/yr	0.8x
346	East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN	22 20–22	$16,696/yr	5.7x
347	St Olaf College Northfield, MN	21 17–22	$26,870/yr	0.9x
348	Lycoming College Williamsport, PA	21 18–22	$25,858/yr	1.5x
349	Columbus College of Art & Design Columbus, OH	21 18–21	$25,751/yr	1.5x
350	University of Hartford West Hartford, CT	21 17–21	$25,465/yr	1.3x
351	Biola University La Mirada, CA	21 17–21	$25,372/yr	1.3x
352	Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL	21 18–21	$22,765/yr	2.2x
353	Hofstra University Hempstead, NY	21 19–22	$20,770/yr	1.7x
354	Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY	21 19–21	$19,790/yr	1.4x
355	Albright College Reading, PA	21 19–21	$18,099/yr	2.8x
356	Keystone College La Plume, PA	21 20–22	$16,392/yr	4.2x
357	Spalding University Louisville, KY	21 19–21	$14,940/yr	0.3x
358	Pacific Northwest College of Art Portland, OR	20 17–20	$25,906/yr	0.6x
359	Pace University New York, NY	20 18–21	$22,789/yr	1.6x
360	Maine College of Art & Design Portland, ME	19 16–20	$24,555/yr	1.0x
361	School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL	19 16–19	$23,984/yr	0.7x
362	Alfred University Alfred, NY	19 16–19	$22,912/yr	1.2x
363	Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA	18 16–19	$23,766/yr	0.4x
364	Kansas City Art Institute Kansas City, MO	18 16–19	$22,906/yr	1.0x
365	Arcadia University Glenside, PA	18 16–18	$22,389/yr	0.8x
366	Montserrat College of Art Beverly, MA	18 16–18	$21,543/yr	1.1x
367	Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA	18 15–18	$20,643/yr	1.1x
368	Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL	18 17–19	$16,290/yr	1.9x
369	School of Visual Arts New York, NY	17 15–18	$21,344/yr	0.1x
370	Maryland Institute College of Art Baltimore, MD	17 15–18	$21,138/yr	0.5x
371	Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design Milwaukee, WI	17 15–18	$20,762/yr	0.9x
372	Smith College Northampton, MA	17 15–17	$20,171/yr	0.6x
373	Boston University Boston, MA	17 16–18	$17,374/yr	1.2x
374	Adelphi University Garden City, NY	17 15–17	$17,155/yr	1.1x
375	Pratt Institute-Main Brooklyn, NY	16 14–17	$18,451/yr	0.2x
376	California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA	16 14–17	$17,690/yr	0.5x
377	American Academy of Art College Chicago, IL	16 15–17	$17,654/yr	0.8x
378	Tufts University Medford, MA	16 14–16	$17,154/yr	0.3x
379	The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art New York, NY	16 14–16	$16,678/yr	0.4x
380	Cornish College of the Arts Seattle, WA	16 14–16	$16,621/yr	0.4x
381	Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI	16 15–17	$16,510/yr	0.8x
382	Minneapolis College of Art and Design Minneapolis, MN	16 15–17	$14,829/yr	1.1x
383	Art Academy of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH	16 14–16	$13,252/yr	1.0x
384	Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, CA	15 14–16	$11,590/yr	0.1x
385	Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Philadelphia, PA	15 14–16	$10,780/yr	0.6x

Highest Earning Fine and Studio Arts Programs

Schools where Fine and Studio Arts graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	DW Score
Columbia University in the City of New York	$51,435/yr	37
University of Southern California	$50,161/yr	38
Ramapo College of New Jersey	$44,529/yr	45
University of Nebraska at Kearney	$40,501/yr	46
Barnard College	$39,947/yr	36
Empire State University	$39,946/yr	47
University of Pennsylvania	$38,820/yr	30
Minnesota State University-Mankato	$38,717/yr	42
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh	$38,585/yr	43
Southern Methodist University	$38,154/yr	33

Best ROI for Fine and Studio Arts

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Fine and Studio Arts.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	DW Score
Fort Hays State University	21.1x	$31,909/yr	47
Florida Atlantic University	20.4x	$28,726/yr	41
Fashion Institute of Technology	20.2x	$23,428/yr	42
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	18.8x	$36,006/yr	58
Western Carolina University	18.5x	$24,253/yr	35
California State University-East Bay	18.3x	$33,220/yr	49
Florida State University	18.2x	$26,785/yr	40
University of North Georgia	17.2x	$23,530/yr	35
University of West Georgia	17.2x	$25,093/yr	38
Florida Gulf Coast University	17.1x	$22,967/yr	37

Want to compare two Fine and Studio Arts programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Fine and Studio Arts offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Fine and Studio Arts graduates earn?

Across 385 schools, Fine and Studio Arts graduates earn an average of $25,391 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $4,699 to $51,435 depending on the school.

What is the AI automation risk for Fine and Studio Arts?

Fine and Studio Arts is rated "Moderate" for AI automation risk, with an average of 40% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means some career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.

Which school has the best Fine and Studio Arts program?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks #1 for Fine and Studio Arts with a score of 58/100 and graduate earnings of $36,006/yr.

What's the outlook for a Fine and Studio Arts degree?

On average, Fine and Studio Arts graduates earn 7.2x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →