Program Analysis
First-year earnings of $28,669 at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign come in 13% above the national median of $25,391 for Fine and Studio Arts programs.
The earnings-to-cost ratio of 6.8x signals a solid financial return — projected decade earnings comfortably exceed the tuition investment.
Some AI exposure exists in Fine and Studio Arts's typical career paths, with 36% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 4% gap from the optimistic case.
Median debt of $21,356 represents roughly 9 months of the $28,669 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.
Ranked #250 of 385 Fine and Studio Arts programs, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Five-year earnings of $33,080 are relatively flat compared to the $28,669 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.