Only 25 colleges in the country offer Crafts/Craft Design, which means graduates enter the workforce from a smaller, more specialized pool. Median earnings four years out: $38,992.
This page covers Crafts/Craft Design as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Visual & Performing Arts and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Crafts/Craft Design is a focused area of study within Visual & Performing Arts. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $38,992 four years out, a modest return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 25 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 102 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$25,027
Median Earnings · 4yr
$38,992
Colleges Offering
25
Graduates / Year
102
Avg Net Price / yr
$20,757
How Much Do Crafts/Craft Design Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Crafts/Craft Design, a typical graduate earns $38,992, significantly below average for bachelor's degree holders. Half of earners land somewhere between $23,283 and $54,302, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $25,027 at one year out to $38,992 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
$38,992
4-Year National Median
Significantly below average. Graduate credentials or high-demand roles can raise this considerably.
$39,496
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Crafts/Craft Design graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out a moderate amount, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Career path divergence explains most of the range. Law, consulting, and tech-adjacent roles pull the top end up; writing, education, and nonprofit roles tend to sit near the bottom.
$23,28325th pct.
$38,992Median
$54,30275th pct.
Is the Cost Worth It?
At median 4-year earnings of $38,992 and an estimated $83,028 four-year net cost, earnings breakeven against a baseline wage takes approximately 9.2 years. Compare specific programs before committing to a high-cost option.
Based on outcomes from 15 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 102 students who complete Crafts/Craft Design programs each year, the majority (74%) earn a bachelor's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
74%
Bachelor's74%
Certificate15%
Associate's11%
What Can You Do With a Crafts/Craft Design Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Crafts/Craft Design graduates show up in 1 different occupations, and Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary pays the most at $78,620/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
Teach courses in drama, music, and the arts including fine and applied art, such as painting and sculpture, or design and crafts. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.
Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments.
Top Colleges for Crafts/Craft Design
Only 8 colleges had enough verified data to appear here for Crafts/Craft Design. They are sorted by graduate volume, not selectivity, so use them as a starting point rather than a ranking.
Ranked by Crafts/Craft Design graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Visual & Performing Arts Programs
Crafts/Craft Design is not the only path through Visual & Performing Arts: 9 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Crafts/Craft Design program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
Crafts/Craft Design carries financial trade-offs prospective students should weigh carefully. The 2 strengths and 4 concerns below are drawn from College Scorecard earnings, BLS job growth data, and IPEDS completion counts.
PROS
Strong salary growthMedian earnings climb from $25,027 at graduation to $38,992 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.
Flexible credential pathsPrograms are available from certificate and associate levels through bachelor's and graduate degrees, giving students real options based on timeline and goals.
CONS
Below-average earningsFour-year median of $38,992 falls below the national median for bachelor's degree holders.
Advanced degree often expectedTop roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
Slow job growthTop related careers project less than 3% growth over the next decade; limited expansion means more competition for new openings.
Long earnings breakevenAt median salary and average net price, recovering education costs versus a baseline wage takes roughly 9.2 years.
$38,992 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $23,283 and $54,302, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Crafts/Craft Design degree?
$25,027 in the first year out. That grows to $38,992 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Crafts/Craft Design degree?
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary is one path, and it pays a median of $78,620 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Crafts/Craft Design program take?
Four years of full-time study for a Crafts/Craft Design bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.
How many colleges offer Crafts/Craft Design?
25 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Crafts/Craft Design degree worth it?
$38,992 median earnings four years out against $20,757 a year in average net price. That is a slow payback, so cost matters more than usual here: a cheaper school changes the answer. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Crafts/Craft Design and Visual & Performing Arts?
Crafts/Craft Design is the narrower of the two: Visual & Performing Arts covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Crafts/Craft Design-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Crafts/Craft Design graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Crafts/Craft Design graduates consistently look for writing, critical analysis, and cross-cultural communication. Employers value the ability to synthesize complex information clearly, skills that transfer into communications, law, consulting, and content roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
Related Visual & Performing Arts Programs
Other programs in Visual & Performing Arts. Compare earnings, credentials, and career paths before committing to a specialization.
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