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Visual & Performing Arts · Fine Arts Rank #3 of 385

Fine Artsat Fort Hays State University

Graduates earn $31,909/yr in their first year — about 26.0% above the national Fine Arts average. Base-case 10-year earnings $515K; scenarios range from $480K to $517K depending on AI disruption.

Hays, KS Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
47 AVERAGE
48
Optimistic
42
Pessimistic
Earnings
$31,909
1-year post-graduation
ROI
21.1x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$515K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
40% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Fort Hays State University

Fort Hays State's Fine and Studio Arts program consistently delivers outcomes that defy its more rural setting, positioning graduates well above the national average for the major. This success often stems from a curriculum that skillfully integrates traditional artistic principles with highly marketable digital and applied art skills. You're not just learning to paint or sculpt; you're likely developing proficiency in areas like digital illustration, animation software, or graphic design, which are crucial for roles in advertising, media production, and corporate design departments.

Many graduates leverage these practical skills to find opportunities in larger regional markets like Kansas City or Denver, or even nationally, for roles as art directors, animators, or in specialized design firms. Your focus here should be on building a robust, diversified portfolio that prominently features these applied skills and demonstrates your ability to adapt creative vision to commercial realities.

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
$480K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score42/100
Earnings Multiple21.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$515K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score47/100
Earnings Multiple22.9x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$517K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score48/100
Earnings Multiple23.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Fort Hays State 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 Fort Hays State 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
Barnard College
NY · Private nonprofit
36
DW Score
$40K
1-yr earn
0.5x
ROI
Also at Fort Hays State University

Other top programs at Fort Hays State University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Fort Hays State 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 Fort Hays State University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Fine Arts at Fort Hays State University?

A score of 47/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Fine Arts. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

What makes Fort Hays State University's Fine Arts program stand out?

Ranked #3 of 385 programs nationally, Fort Hays State University lands in the top 1%. The ranking reflects a combination of graduate earnings, return on investment, and job market alignment.