HUMANITIES
+2.0%Liberal Arts
A broad foundation across writing, history, social science, and the arts, a flexible entry point into graduate school, business, or public service.
HUMANITIES
Visual & Performing Arts
Salary data, career paths, top colleges, and every specialization, all sourced from College Scorecard, IPEDS, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
About Visual & Performing Arts
Wondering whether Visual & Performing Arts is worth studying? What matters is what graduates actually earn, where they end up working, and which colleges produce the most of them. Most graduates end up in this field, so it is worth knowing what an Art Director earns and how the role is projected to grow.
Music, theater, visual art, film, and design. Where professional craft meets cultural impact, and industry connections matter as much as talent. Four years after finishing the degree, graduates in this field earn a national median of $41,367, per College Scorecard. You can study it at 2,221 colleges and universities across the country, so location is rarely the limiting factor. About 149,776 students complete a degree in this area every year.
- Median Earnings · 1yr
- $25,271
- Median Earnings · 4yr
- $41,367
- Colleges Offering
- 2,221
- Graduates / Year
- 149,776
- Specializations
- 11
- Avg Net Price / yr
- $30,773
Is a Visual & Performing Arts Degree Right for You?
$41,367
Median earnings · 4yr
+4.2%
10yr job growth
11
Specializations
Is the Investment Worth It?
Breaks even in
~10.8
yrs
vs $30K/yr baseline wage
At median 4-year earnings of $41,367 and an estimated $123,092 four-year net cost, earnings breakeven against a baseline wage takes approximately 10.8 years. Compare your specific program carefully.
ROI varies significantly by specialization and institution. A top program in a high-demand specialization can return many multiples of its cost. A lower-tier program in a saturated field may take a decade to break even. Use the Specializations and Best Colleges sections above to compare your specific options before deciding.
How Much Do Visual & Performing Arts Majors Earn?
Pay for Visual & Performing Arts graduates climbs fast in the first few years out. The median start is $25,271 one year after graduation, rising to $41,367 by year four, so the early salary is not the ceiling. Source: College Scorecard, across all 2,221 US institutions offering programs in this field.
$25,271
1 Year After Graduation
Median at the institutional level. Entry-level salaries; reflects career start, not peak earnings.
$41,367
4-Year National Median
Enrollment-weighted national median across all institutions. Most graduates have 2-3 years of career experience at this point.
$43,222
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size. Closer to what a typical school's graduates earn.
Earnings Range Across Specializations
Not all Visual & Performing Arts specializations pay the same. The most lucrative programs pay $51,490/yr nationally, while the lowest-earning specializations average $38,992/yr. See the Specializations section below for a program-by-program breakdown.
$38,992
Lowest
$41,367
Median
$51,490
Highest
What Can You Do With a Visual & Performing Arts Degree?
Career Paths for Visual & Performing Arts Graduates
Studying Visual & Performing Arts does not lock you into one job title. It opens 8 occupations tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from entry-level roles to senior ones, and Art Director pays the most among them at a median $114,850 a year. Each row below adds national wages, employment levels, and the 10-year growth outlook so you can weigh the rest.
Another common path leads to what Web and Digital Interface Designers typically earn and how the field is trending.
Art Director
Bachelor's degree
$114,850
↗ +4.2% growth
Web and Digital Interface Designers
Bachelor's degree
$104,000
↗ +6.0% growth
Multimedia Artist & Animator
Bachelor's degree
$102,030
↘ -0.3% growth
Architecture Teachers
Doctoral or professional degree
$96,870
↗ +2.6% growth
Producer & Director
Bachelor's degree
$90,360
↗ +4.0% growth
Commercial & Industrial Designer
Bachelor's degree
$83,910
↗ +2.4% growth
Agents & Business Managers
Bachelor's degree
$82,890
↗ +9.7% growth
Fashion Designer
Bachelor's degree
$80,960
↗ +0.1% growth
Visual & Performing Arts Specializations
Visual & Performing Arts spans 10 specializations, and the choice among them will not swing your paycheck much: four-year earnings run from $38,992 to $51,490 across the whole group. Each row links to a full program profile with institution counts and annual completion data. Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying specialization is the cost and outcomes for a Design program, which is worth a closer look before settling on the broader field.
Specialization
Colleges
Grads/yr
Earnings · 4yr
Best Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts
These are the 20 colleges that graduate the most students in Visual & Performing Arts, ranked by how many completed the degree in the most recent reporting year, not by selectivity or prestige. Acceptance rate, net price, earnings, and graduation rate for each one come from College Scorecard and IPEDS.
By that measure, the list starts with the cost and admissions data for New York University.
1
New York University
New York, NY · Nonprofit
Acceptance
9.2%
Net price/yr
$37,050
Earnings 10yr
$82,509
Grad rate
76%
2
Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah, GA · Nonprofit
Acceptance
83%
Net price/yr
$49,430
Earnings 10yr
$45,954
Grad rate
67%
3
Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY · Public
Acceptance
60.2%
Net price/yr
$19,095
Earnings 10yr
$62,696
Grad rate
75%
4
The New School
New York, NY · Nonprofit
Acceptance
63.5%
Net price/yr
$58,741
Earnings 10yr
$52,901
Grad rate
65%
5
Berklee College of Music
Boston, MA · Nonprofit
Acceptance
43.5%
Net price/yr
$49,465
Earnings 10yr
$33,647
Grad rate
54%
6
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL · Public
Acceptance
40.1%
Net price/yr
$10,411
Earnings 10yr
$58,308
Grad rate
55%
7
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA · Nonprofit
Acceptance
9.8%
Net price/yr
$32,740
Earnings 10yr
$92,498
Grad rate
88%
8
California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA · Public
Acceptance
46.3%
Net price/yr
$10,440
Earnings 10yr
$64,403
Grad rate
78%
9
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH · Nonprofit
Acceptance
99.5%
Net price/yr
$36,708
Earnings 10yr
$50,318
Grad rate
30%
10
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL · Nonprofit
Acceptance
89.5%
Net price/yr
$26,598
Earnings 10yr
$42,195
Grad rate
55%
11
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Tempe, AZ · Public
Acceptance
89.9%
Net price/yr
$14,967
Earnings 10yr
$62,668
Grad rate
59%
12
Pratt Institute-Main
Brooklyn, NY · Nonprofit
Acceptance
73.3%
Net price/yr
$52,659
Earnings 10yr
$54,295
Grad rate
63%
13
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Nonprofit
Acceptance
77.5%
Net price/yr
$49,790
Earnings 10yr
$40,151
Grad rate
65%
14
University of North Texas
Denton, TX · Public
Acceptance
72.2%
Net price/yr
$15,649
Earnings 10yr
$57,010
Grad rate
57%
15
Indiana University-Bloomington
Bloomington, IN · Public
Acceptance
78.2%
Net price/yr
$16,264
Earnings 10yr
$63,742
Grad rate
65%
16
American Musical and Dramatic Academy
New York, NY · Nonprofit
Acceptance
24.5%
Net price/yr
$41,416
Earnings 10yr
$26,975
Grad rate
68%
17
Belmont University
Nashville, TN · Nonprofit
Acceptance
95.3%
Net price/yr
$33,147
Earnings 10yr
$55,930
Grad rate
69%
18
California State University-Fullerton
Fullerton, CA · Public
Acceptance
90.5%
Net price/yr
$6,555
Earnings 10yr
$62,951
Grad rate
73%
19
DePaul University
Chicago, IL · Nonprofit
Acceptance
75.9%
Net price/yr
$30,902
Earnings 10yr
$68,751
Grad rate
71%
20
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA · Public
Acceptance
92.6%
Net price/yr
$23,433
Earnings 10yr
$58,128
Grad rate
66%
Ranked by number of Visual & Performing Arts graduates per IPEDS completion data. Acceptance rate, net price, earnings, and graduation rate from College Scorecard. Read our methodology →
How Visual & Performing Arts Compares to Similar Majors
Major
$30k
$40k
$50k
$60k
$70k
$80k
$90k
$100k
Plan Your Path
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Visual & Performing Arts degree, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find programs that match your profile.
College ROI Calculator
See if a Visual & Performing Arts degree pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings its graduates actually see.
College Cost Calculator
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Compare Colleges
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
College Match Quiz
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Visual & Performing Arts Degree: Pros & Cons
Weigh the financial trade-offs in Visual & Performing Arts carefully before committing to it. The 3 strengths and 4 concerns below come from College Scorecard earnings, BLS job growth data, and IPEDS completion counts, so you can see exactly what is driving the caution.
PROS
- Growing field Top career paths show up to +9.7% projected 10-year growth per BLS, including Agents & Business Managers.
- Wide availability Offered at 2,221 colleges nationwide, including community colleges and online programs.
- Strong salary growth Median salary grows from $25,271 at graduation to $41,367 four years later, indicating solid career momentum.
CONS
- Below-average earnings Four-year median of $41,367 falls below the national median for bachelor's degree holders, limiting near-term financial returns.
- Declining roles in some areas 1 related career within this field show negative 10-year employment projections per BLS. Research specific roles carefully before committing.
- Highly competitive job market Approximately 149,776 students graduate in this field each year, one of the highest volumes among all majors.
- Long earnings breakeven At median salary and average net price, recovering education costs versus a baseline wage takes roughly 10.8 years. Compare program costs carefully.
Visual & Performing Arts Degree: Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Visual & Performing Arts graduates earn?
$41,367 a year four years after finishing the degree. That is the national median, so half of graduates earn more and half earn less, and specialization, institution, and region move the number a lot. Use the specializations table on this page to see which tracks pay above and below it. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Visual & Performing Arts degree?
About $25,271 in the first year out, at the institutional level. That is an early number, not a ceiling, and it moves with employer, location, and which specialization within Visual & Performing Arts you picked. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Visual & Performing Arts degree?
More than one path, so the degree does not lock you into a single title. Art Director pays the most among related roles, at a median $114,850 a year nationally, but it is one option among several. See the Career Paths section on this page for the full list with employment levels and 10-year growth projections. Source: BLS.
How many colleges offer Visual & Performing Arts?
2,221 colleges and universities in the United States, so location is rarely the limiting factor. Options run from community colleges offering associate degrees to research universities with doctoral programs, so the harder choice is which type of school fits, not whether one is nearby. The Best Colleges section on this page ranks the top institutions by graduation volume. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Visual & Performing Arts degree worth it?
For most students, yes, though the margin depends on which specialization and school you pick. Median 4-year earnings run $41,367 against an average net price of roughly $30,773 a year across institutions that offer this major, and high-earning specializations widen that gap considerably. Compare your specific program before assuming the average applies to you.
How long does it take to earn a Visual & Performing Arts degree?
Four years for a bachelor's degree in Visual & Performing Arts at the normal full-time pace, or two years for an associate version at a community college. Part-time or online study stretches that timeline out, and transfer credits can shorten it.
What skills do employers look for in Visual & Performing Arts graduates?
Employers hiring Visual & Performing Arts graduates consistently prioritize writing, critical analysis, research, and cross-cultural communication. Employers value the ability to synthesize complex information and communicate clearly, skills that transfer into communications, law, consulting, and content roles.
What is the 10-year job outlook for Visual & Performing Arts graduates?
Outlook is moderate: related occupations project an average of +3.6% growth over the next decade. Agents & Business Managers leads the group at +9.7%. Demand still swings by specialization, employer sector, and region, so treat this as a starting point rather than a guarantee. Source: BLS.
Related Findings
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The Best Major Out-Earns the Worst by 2.5 to 1
The top-paying major returns $93,843 a decade out. The bottom returns $36,949. The gap is 2.5x, and the two ends share almost nothing in common.
- Major earnings
- Engineering tech
- Library science
- Earnings gap
- Field of study
-
The Lowest-Paying Degrees, and Whether They Are Worth It
The lowest-paying college program pays a median of $28,311 four years out. Only 11 of 314 programs land below the high-school benchmark. Here is the floor.
- Lowest-paying degrees
- Program earnings
- Worth it
- Net price
- Major choice
-
All 38 Majors, Ranked by What Graduates Earn
The highest-earning college major out-pays the lowest by a factor of two and a half. The full ranking of all 38 fields by median graduate earnings, with job growth alongside.
- Major earnings
- Highest paying majors
- Job growth
- STEM
- Field of study
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