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Visual and Performing Arts

HUMANITIES Specialization

Visual and Performing Arts

Visual and Performing Arts graduates earn $47,629 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $27,998 and $65,346. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.

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About Visual and Performing Arts

This page covers Visual and Performing Arts 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.

Visual and Performing Arts is a focused area of study within Visual & Performing Arts. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $47,629 four years out, a modest return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 93 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 1,026 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: $24,306
Median Earnings · 4yr: $47,629
Colleges Offering: 93
Graduates / Year: 1,026
Avg Net Price / yr: $19,755

How Much Do Visual and Performing Arts Graduates Earn?

Four years after finishing Visual and Performing Arts, a typical graduate earns $47,629, below average for bachelor's degree holders. Half of earners land somewhere between $27,998 and $65,346, 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 $24,306 at one year out to $47,629 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.

What that figure means in practice depends on what the degree cost to get, which is a matter of lifetime earnings against total outlay.

$24,306

1 Year After Graduation

Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.

$47,629

4-Year National Median

Below average for bachelor's degree holders.

$48,154

4-Year Institutional Median

Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.

Earnings Range

Not every Visual and Performing Arts graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out widely, 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.

$27,998 25th pct.

$47,629 Median

$65,346 75th pct.

Understanding the Cost vs. Return

At median 4-year earnings of $47,629 and an estimated $79,020 four-year net cost, earnings breakeven against a baseline wage takes approximately 4.5 years. Compare specific programs before committing to a high-cost option.

Based on outcomes from 65 schools. Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.

Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown

Of the 1,026 students who complete Visual and Performing Arts programs each year, the majority (49%) earn a bachelor's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.

49% 32%

Bachelor's 49%

Master's 32%

Associate's 9%

What Can You Do With a Visual and Performing Arts Degree?

This degree does not lock you into one job. Visual and Performing Arts 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.

The best-paid of these is what an Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary earns and how fast the role is growing, though entry requirements vary across the list.

↗ +2.2% Zone 5: Extensive preparation

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary

$78,620

$62K $104K 25th–75th pct.

Master's degree 8,000 openings/yr 94K employed nationally

Speaking Instructing Learning Strategies Reading Comprehension Active Listening

Day-to-day responsibilities

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 Visual and Performing Arts

Not sure where to study Visual and Performing Arts? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.

Ranked by score, that list starts with the cost and outcomes at New York University, and the rest follow the same measures.

#	College	Graduates	Acceptance	Net Price/yr	Earnings 10yr
1	New York University New York, NY · Nonprofit	308	9.2%	$37,050	$82,509
2	Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY · Nonprofit	96	4%	$21,590	$102,491
3	Brightpoint Community College Chester, VA · Public	65	Open	$5,490	$41,223
4	Bard College Annandale-On-Hudson, NY · Nonprofit	28	52.1%	$34,649	$46,543
5	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI · Public	26	15.6%	$13,138	$83,648
6	Clemson University Clemson, SC · Public	24	38.3%	$22,253	$71,513
7	Duke University Durham, NC · Nonprofit	24	5.7%	$29,612	$97,800
8	Towson University Towson, MD · Public	19	82%	$17,413	$64,390
9	Portland State University Portland, OR · Public	19	90.9%	$9,552	$57,906
10	University of Washington-Bothell Campus Bothell, WA · Public	17	90.6%	$12,319	$78,466
11	University of Chicago Chicago, IL · Nonprofit	16	4.5%	$14,860	$91,885
12	Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH · Nonprofit	15	75.7%	$27,603	$54,122
13	Southern Arkansas University Main Campus Magnolia, AR · Public	15	75.3%	$14,027	$42,386
14	Clark University Worcester, MA · Nonprofit	15	39.5%	$28,714	$62,381
15	Tidewater Community College Norfolk, VA · Public	13	Open	$11,762	$38,349
16	Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA · Nonprofit	11	36%	$26,441	$58,418
17	Millikin University Decatur, IL · Nonprofit	11	66.7%	$21,989	$51,262
18	Prescott College Prescott, AZ · Nonprofit	11	94.5%	$22,583	$42,359
19	University of South Florida Tampa, FL · Public	10	43.2%	$9,812	$57,743
20	University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA · Public	10	28.6%	$14,251	$80,735

View all colleges

Ranked by Visual and Performing Arts graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats. Read our methodology →

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 and Performing Arts program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find schools that match your profile.

College ROI Calculator

See if a Visual and 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 and Performing Arts Degree: Pros & Cons

Visual and Performing Arts carries financial trade-offs prospective students should weigh carefully. The 1 strengths and 4 concerns below are drawn from College Scorecard earnings, BLS job growth data, and IPEDS completion counts.

PROS

Strong salary growth Median earnings climb from $24,306 at graduation to $47,629 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.

CONS

Modest median earnings Four-year median of $47,629 lags STEM and business fields, affecting ROI at higher-cost programs.
Advanced degree often expected Top 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 growth Top related careers project less than 3% growth over the next decade; limited expansion means more competition for new openings.
High earnings variance Gap between 25th ($27,998) and 75th ($65,346) percentile is wide. Where you land depends heavily on employer, role, and location.

Visual and Performing Arts Degree: Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Visual and Performing Arts graduates earn?

$47,629 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $27,998 and $65,346, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.

What is the starting salary for a Visual and Performing Arts degree?

$24,306 in the first year out. That grows to $47,629 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 Visual and Performing Arts 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 Visual and Performing Arts program take?

Four years of full-time study for a Visual and Performing Arts 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 Visual and Performing Arts?

93 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 Visual and Performing Arts degree worth it?

$47,629 median earnings four years out against $19,755 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 Visual and Performing Arts and Visual & Performing Arts?

Visual and Performing Arts is the narrower of the two: Visual & Performing Arts covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Visual and Performing Arts-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 Visual and Performing Arts graduates?

Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Visual and Performing Arts 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.