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Visual & Performing Arts · Fine Arts Rank #207 of 385

Fine Artsat Fordham University

Graduates earn $35,929/yr in their first year — about 42.0% above the national Fine Arts average. Base-case 10-year earnings $522K; scenarios range from $485K to $524K depending on AI disruption.

Bronx, NY Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
29 AT RISK
29
Optimistic
23
Pessimistic
Earnings
$35,929
1-year post-graduation
ROI
1.1x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$522K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
40% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Fordham University

Fordham's Fine and Studio Arts program offers a significant advantage, rooted firmly in its New York City location. You're not just studying art; you're immersed in one of the world's most dynamic creative economies. This translates directly into exceptional career opportunities in high-demand fields like advertising, media production, animation studios, and major cultural institutions right outside your door. The immense concentration of demand for skilled artists in design, digital media, and visual effects, coupled with Fordham's strong academic reputation and connections, helps graduates secure roles that often command better compensation. Your path here isn't solely about traditional gallery exhibition; it's about applying creative talent in a commercially robust environment. To maximize this, prioritize internships and building a professional network from day one; it’s your most direct pipeline into these competitive industries.

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
$485K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score23/100
Earnings Multiple2.0x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$522K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score29/100
Earnings Multiple2.1x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$524K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score29/100
Earnings Multiple2.1x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Fordham 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 Fordham 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 Fordham University

Other top programs at Fordham University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Fordham 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 Fordham University

What does a 29/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Fine Arts at Fordham University?

At 29/100, the financial outlook is modest. Higher-scoring Fine Arts programs exist, though non-financial factors may justify this choice.