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Visual & Performing Arts · Fine Arts Rank #144 of 385

Fine Artsat Cornell University

Graduates earn $31,073/yr in their first year — about 22.0% above the national Fine Arts average. Base-case 10-year earnings $674K; scenarios range from $610K to $691K depending on AI disruption.

Ithaca, NY Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
32 AT RISK
32
Optimistic
27
Pessimistic
Earnings
$31,073
1-year post-graduation
ROI
1.8x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$674K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
40% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Cornell University

At Cornell, your Fine and Studio Arts degree carries the significant weight of an Ivy League brand, which often opens doors far beyond traditional gallery spaces. This prestige signals not just artistic talent but also a rigorous academic foundation and strong critical thinking skills, highly valued in broader creative industries. You'll find graduates leveraging their artistic acumen in roles like art direction for major advertising agencies, design leadership in tech companies, or even curatorial positions in competitive institutions, where the robust alumni network provides invaluable connections. The program likely emphasizes conceptual development alongside technical mastery, preparing you for adaptable, high-impact creative careers. To fully capitalize on this, actively seek interdisciplinary experiences and network broadly across campus.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$610K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score27/100
Earnings Multiple2.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$674K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score32/100
Earnings Multiple2.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$691K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score32/100
Earnings Multiple2.6x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Cornell University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Fine Arts graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Art directors
+4.2% 10-yr growth · 12,300 openings/yr
$111,040/yr
High
2
Special effects artists and animators
+1.6% 10-yr growth · 5,000 openings/yr
$99,800/yr
High
3
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
+1.7% 10-yr growth · 9,000 openings/yr
$80,190/yr
Moderate
4
Artists and related workers, all other
+0.8% 10-yr growth · 1,200 openings/yr
$72,760/yr
Low
5
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
-1.6% 10-yr growth · 66,200 openings/yr
$64,580/yr
Moderate
6
Curators
+7.0% 10-yr growth · 1,800 openings/yr
$61,770/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Fine Arts

How Cornell University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Columbia University in the City of New York
NY · Private nonprofit
37
DW Score
$51K
1-yr earn
1.0x
ROI
University of Southern California
CA · Private nonprofit
38
DW Score
$50K
1-yr earn
1.2x
ROI
Ramapo College of New Jersey
NJ · Public
45
DW Score
$45K
1-yr earn
6.7x
ROI
University of Nebraska at Kearney
NE · Public
46
DW Score
$41K
1-yr earn
12.2x
ROI
Same state (NY)
Barnard College
NY · Private nonprofit
36
DW Score
$40K
1-yr earn
0.5x
ROI
Also at Cornell University

Other top programs at Cornell University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Cornell University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

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 at Cornell University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Fine Arts at Cornell University?

A score of 32/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Fine Arts. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

Is Cornell University a hidden gem for Fine Arts?

After financial aid, the average student pays $129,348 over four years — 51% below the $264,056 sticker price. That gap makes the ROI significantly better than published tuition suggests.