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Sector Analysis · Visual & Performing Arts

Best Fine Arts Schools by Graduate Salary & ROI (2026)

385 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Fine Arts, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Fine Arts graduate earns $25,391/yr across 385 schools.

What do Fine Arts graduates do? See career paths and salaries →

Why a Polytechnic School Dominates Fine Arts

California Polytechnic State University isn't a traditional art school, which is precisely why it's #1. Cal Poly's "learn by doing" philosophy emphasizes the practical, commercial application of creative skills—think graphic design, user interface design, and digital media, not just painting. This focus prepares graduates for in-demand roles like Art Director, explaining their solid $36,006/yr post-graduation earnings and making the program a launchpad into a creative career, not just a studio.

Public Universities Own the Top 20. Where Are the Famous Art Schools?

The most telling pattern is the complete absence of expensive, private art institutes in the top 20. The data reveals a harsh reality: for a field with modest average earnings, taking on massive private school debt is a losing proposition. The worst debt-to-earnings ratio in our dataset belongs to a private school, Laguna College of Art and Design, where graduates earn just $8,482/yr against $27,625 in debt. The top 20 public schools offer a much safer path to a sustainable creative life.

AI is a Tool, Not a Replacement, for Artists

The consistent 40% AI risk score isn't a threat; it’s a job description change. For digital roles like animator or graphic designer, AI will automate tedious tasks, making your ability to direct creative strategy and use AI tools more valuable than manual execution. Meanwhile, careers that are inherently hands-on and interpersonal, like high school art teacher or museum conservator, are largely insulated from automation, offering a stable alternative for those who want to work with people and physical objects.

Look for High ROI, Not Just a Low Price Tag

Don't confuse low tuition with good value. A high Return on Investment (ROI) is the key metric, showing how effectively a school turns your tuition dollars into future earnings. Hidden gems like Florida Atlantic University (#19) and Fort Hays State University (#3) deliver an ROI over 20x, far better than many higher-ranked schools. This is achieved through a powerful combination of very low tuition (both under $23,000) and solid graduate earnings, proving that a smart financial choice can be found outside of the top 10.

Programs Ranked

385

Avg Earnings

$25,391/yr

Avg DW Score

30/100

AI Risk

Moderate

40% task exposure

Top Institutions

Leading the field for Fine Arts

The top four programs by DegreeOutlook Score. Full ranking of 385 programs below.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 58

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA · Public

$36,0061-yr earnings

18.8xROI multiple

ModerateAI risk

California State University-East Bay

CA · #2

$33,220/yr · 18.3x ROI

Fort Hays State University

KS · #3

$31,909/yr · 21.1x ROI

University of Massachusetts-Lowell

MA · #4

$36,236/yr · 8.6x ROI

The Ranking Matrix

All Fine Arts Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

Sort by

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

FAQ

Frequently asked

What is the best school for Fine Arts?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score, 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.

How much do Fine Arts graduates earn?

Across 385 schools, Fine Arts graduates earn an average of $25,391/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $51,435/yr.

Is Fine Arts a good major for AI resistance?

Fine Arts has an average AI task exposure of 40%, rated "Moderate". This field has moderate AI exposure — some career paths are more resilient than others.

Programs are ranked by DegreeOutlook Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.