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Academic Field / Visual & Performing Arts

Fine Arts

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.

Compare Schools

Schools

385

Programs analyzed

Earnings

$25,391

Avg 1-yr grad earnings

Range $4,699–$51,435

Outlook

30/100

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

AI Risk

Moderate

40% task exposure

Field Overview

What Fine 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.

Students weighing Fine Arts often also consider Visual & Performing Arts and Craft & Folk Art — compare earnings, ROI, and AI outlook side by side.

Career Trajectories

Where Fine Arts graduates work

Common career paths for Fine Arts graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 118,400 combined openings per year across these roles.

Role	Median Pay	Annual Openings	10-yr Growth	AI Exposure
Art directors	$111,040 $80K–$160K	12,300	+4.2%	High · 50%
Special effects artists and animators	$99,800 $73K–$136K	5,000	+1.6%	High · 52%
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary	$80,190 $61K–$122K	9,000	+1.7%	Moderate · 44%
Artists and related workers, all other	$72,760 $45K–$112K	1,200	+0.8%	Low · 0%
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	$64,580 $58K–$83K	66,200	-1.6%	Moderate · 33%
Curators	$61,770 $47K–$81K	1,800	+7.0%	High · 50%
Archivists	$61,570 $48K–$80K	1,100	+3.8%	High · 50%
Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators	$60,560 $40K–$90K	2,200	-1.2%	Moderate · 43%
Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers	$49,140 $38K–$63K	4,000	-5.5%	Low · 23%
Museum technicians and conservators	$47,460 $37K–$63K	1,900	+5.4%	Low · 24%
Photographers	$42,520 $35K–$62K	12,700	+1.8%	Moderate · 39%
Craft artists	$38,480 $31K–$52K	1,000	+2.1%	Low · 26%

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

Top Institutions

Best schools for Fine Arts

Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 10 of 385.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 58

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA · Public

$36,006 1-yr earnings

18.8x ROI multiple

Moderate AI risk

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA · #2

$33,220/yr · 18.3x ROI

Empire State University

Saratoga Springs, NY · #3

$39,946/yr · 12.1x ROI

University of Massachusetts-Lowell

Lowell, MA · #4

$36,236/yr · 8.6x ROI

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

View the complete Fine Arts school rankings — 385 programs analyzed →

Highest Earnings Top 5

Columbia University in the City of New York NY	$51,435
University of Southern California CA	$50,161
Ramapo College of New Jersey NJ	$44,529
University of Nebraska at Kearney NE	$40,501
Barnard College NY	$39,947

Best ROI Top 5

Fort Hays State University KS	21.1x
Florida Atlantic University FL	20.4x
Fashion Institute of Technology NY	20.2x
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA	18.8x
Western Carolina University NC	18.5x

Related majors

Similar fields of study often offered alongside Fine Arts.

Theater & Drama Music Design Film & Photography Dance Visual & Performing Arts Arts & Media Management Performing Arts Studies Craft & Folk Art Biology Psychology Business Administration

Consider the trade route

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

Compare Fine Arts trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →

FAQ

Frequently asked about Fine Arts

What do Fine Arts graduates make in their first year?

Across 385 schools, Fine 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.

How exposed is Fine Arts to AI disruption?

Fine Arts is rated "Moderate" for AI automation risk, with 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 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 Arts with a score of 58/100 and graduate earnings of $36,006/yr.

Is a Fine Arts degree worth the investment?

Typical graduates earn 7.2 times what they paid in tuition within a decade. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly. Look at per-school ROI in the table above — averages can mask significant variation.