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Visual and Performing Arts, General Degree

59 schools compared · Average earnings $25,525/yr

Students study a broad curriculum spanning visual art, music, theater, dance, and arts management, developing creative skills alongside arts theory and history. Graduates typically pursue careers in arts administration, gallery management, arts education, creative direction, and freelance artistic practice. This versatile arts degree provides both creative training and the practical knowledge to build sustainable careers in the arts.

What Visual and Performing Arts, General Graduates Do

Your degree in visual and performing arts prepares you for a career of applied creativity. As a graphic designer, you might spend your days translating client briefs into layouts for websites or designing marketing materials. As a photographer, you could be on location capturing commercial products or portraits, followed by hours of digital editing.

Many start in junior roles, handling production tasks before advancing to an art director position. There, your focus shifts from hands-on creation to leading a creative team, defining the visual style for entire campaigns, and managing budgets. While roles for traditional fine artists face headwinds, opportunities for art directors are growing.

AI is becoming a powerful creative partner in these fields. Expect it to automate significant parts of your workflow, like generating initial design concepts, editing photos, or creating animation keyframes. Your value will shift from pure technical execution to creative strategy, taste, and the ability to guide AI tools to produce high-quality, original work. The jobs aren't disappearing, but your day-to-day tasks will evolve, requiring constant learning and adaptability.

Schools Offering

Avg Grad Earnings

$25,525/yr

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

25/100

AI Automation Risk

High

40% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Visual and Performing Arts, General graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 63,400 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%
Graphic designers	$61,300 $47K$79K	20,000	+2.1%	50%
Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators	$60,560 $40K$90K	2,200	-1.2%	43%
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

Graphic designers

$61,300

$47K $79K

20,000 openings/yr +2.1% 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

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 Visual and Performing Arts, General

Top 20 of 59 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

#	School	DW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL	47 42–47	$28,878/yr	25.9x
2	University of Florida-Online Gainesville, FL	39 34–40	$30,629/yr	18.8x
3	Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA	38 34–39	$27,636/yr	19.9x
4	Drexel University Philadelphia, PA	37 31–37	$51,248/yr	1.1x
5	George Mason University Fairfax, VA	35 29–35	$31,941/yr	8.5x
6	University of Florida Gainesville, FL	34 29–35	$30,629/yr	11.0x
7	Albany State University Albany, GA	34 29–34	$29,798/yr	11.6x
8	Fordham University Bronx, NY	32 26–32	$41,165/yr	0.7x
9	Longwood University Farmville, VA	32 26–32	$34,812/yr	6.5x
10	California State University-San Marcos San Marcos, CA	31 26–31	$27,741/yr	12.3x
11	University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, NC	31 28–31	$23,023/yr	14.1x
12	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Whitewater, WI	30 26–31	$28,226/yr	11.5x
13	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX	29 24–29	$29,707/yr	8.2x
14	Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS	29 26–30	$24,752/yr	10.8x
15	SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY	29 27–29	$19,135/yr	12.6x
16	University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO	28 23–29	$29,775/yr	4.3x
17	The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX	28 23–28	$28,494/yr	7.1x
18	Siena College Loudonville, NY	27 21–27	$34,017/yr	0.9x
19	University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO	27 21–27	$30,966/yr	7.3x
20	University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM	27 24–28	$25,286/yr	11.0x
21	University of Toledo Toledo, OH	26 22–26	$26,625/yr	4.4x
22	Delta State University Cleveland, MS	26 22–26	$24,839/yr	6.2x
23	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ	26 23–27	$22,817/yr	8.9x
24	University of Advancing Technology Tempe, AZ	25 20–25	$27,824/yr	2.6x
25	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY	25 21–26	$26,343/yr	4.0x
26	Jackson State University Jackson, MS	25 22–25	$23,555/yr	9.9x
27	University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA	24 19–24	$29,130/yr	4.8x
28	University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA	24 20–24	$25,753/yr	3.2x
29	The University of Tennessee-Martin Martin, TN	24 20–25	$25,660/yr	8.2x
30	Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ	23 21–24	$22,817/yr	—
31	East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA	23 20–23	$22,349/yr	4.1x
32	SUNY at Purchase College Purchase, NY	23 21–24	$22,024/yr	5.1x
33	Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, CA	23 21–23	$21,558/yr	2.3x
34	State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz, NY	23 21–23	$19,893/yr	9.8x
35	University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN	22 18–22	$27,684/yr	1.0x
36	Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, MO	22 18–23	$26,668/yr	6.2x
37	Salem State University Salem, MA	22 18–22	$24,699/yr	6.5x
38	Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ	22 19–23	$24,691/yr	5.2x
39	Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA	21 16–21	$28,494/yr	2.5x
40	Northeastern University Boston, MA	21 17–22	$27,246/yr	0.1x
41	Moore College of Art and Design Philadelphia, PA	21 17–22	$27,107/yr	0.3x
42	New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM	21 19–22	$18,470/yr	9.5x
43	Pacific Northwest College of Art Portland, OR	21 19–21	$13,895/yr	-0.3x
44	Champlain College Burlington, VT	20 15–20	$30,138/yr	1.4x
45	Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA	20 17–20	$23,656/yr	4.5x
46	Stockton University Galloway, NJ	20 18–21	$20,705/yr	5.7x
47	University of Houston-Downtown Houston, TX	20 18–20	$19,527/yr	8.2x
48	University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA	20 18–20	$16,871/yr	3.0x
49	Full Sail University Winter Park, FL	19 16–19	$22,439/yr	1.1x
50	Wichita State University Wichita, KS	19 17–20	$20,013/yr	7.2x
51	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH	19 17–19	$18,819/yr	5.9x
52	LaGrange College Lagrange, GA	18 16–18	$21,824/yr	0.6x
53	The College of Westchester White Plains, NY	18 16–18	$20,163/yr	1.0x
54	Southern Oregon University Ashland, OR	18 17–19	$17,228/yr	6.3x
55	Stetson University DeLand, FL	17 12–17	$26,913/yr	1.0x
56	Bennington College Bennington, VT	17 15–18	$20,809/yr	-0.2x
57	Temple University Philadelphia, PA	17 15–18	$20,667/yr	3.5x
58	Lesley University Cambridge, MA	17 15–18	$20,600/yr	0.6x
59	Bloomfield College Bloomfield, NJ	15 13–15	$17,625/yr	2.4x

Highest Earning Visual and Performing Arts, General Programs

Schools where Visual and Performing Arts, General graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	DW Score
Drexel University	$51,248/yr	37
Fordham University	$41,165/yr	32
Longwood University	$34,812/yr	32
Siena College	$34,017/yr	27
George Mason University	$31,941/yr	35
University of Colorado Colorado Springs	$30,966/yr	27
University of Florida-Online	$30,629/yr	39
University of Florida	$30,629/yr	34
Champlain College	$30,138/yr	20
Albany State University	$29,798/yr	34

Best ROI for Visual and Performing Arts, General

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Visual and Performing Arts, General.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	DW Score
University of Central Florida	25.9x	$28,878/yr	47
Kennesaw State University	19.9x	$27,636/yr	38
University of Florida-Online	18.8x	$30,629/yr	39
University of North Carolina Asheville	14.1x	$23,023/yr	31
SUNY Oneonta	12.6x	$19,135/yr	29
California State University-San Marcos	12.3x	$27,741/yr	31
Albany State University	11.6x	$29,798/yr	34
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater	11.5x	$28,226/yr	30
University of New Mexico-Main Campus	11.0x	$25,286/yr	27
University of Florida	11.0x	$30,629/yr	34

Want to compare two Visual and Performing Arts, General programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

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Consider the Trade Route

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Visual and Performing Arts, General graduates earn?

Across 59 schools, Visual and Performing Arts, General graduates earn an average of $25,525 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $13,895 to $51,248 depending on the school.

What is the AI automation risk for Visual and Performing Arts, General?

Visual and Performing Arts, General is rated "High" 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 Visual and Performing Arts, General program?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), University of Central Florida ranks #1 for Visual and Performing Arts, General with a score of 47/100 and graduate earnings of $28,878/yr.

What's the outlook for a Visual and Performing Arts, General degree?

On average, Visual and Performing Arts, General graduates earn 6.2x 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 →