Visual and Performing Arts, General: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 50.01. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 763 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 115 | 550 | $32,910 | $40,600 | $19,406 4 programs |
| Associate's degree | 215 | 1,865 | $26,742 | $32,799 | $12,519 6 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 336 | 4,548 | $30,671 | $41,688 | $24,448 82 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 74 | 206 | $53,694 | $59,460 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 6 | 17 | $57,750 | $55,489 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 16 | 39 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee WI · Public · 21 graduates measured | $45,986 | $57,561 | $25,000 |
| Full Sail University FL · Private, for-profit · 94 graduates measured | $26,332 | Data unavailable | $13,812 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Community College District TX · Public · 55 graduates measured | $39,441 | Data unavailable | $15,788 |
| Dutchess Community College NY · Public · 17 graduates measured | $32,194 | $31,680 | Data unavailable |
| Community College of Baltimore County MD · Public · 18 graduates measured | $31,064 | $32,927 | $7,000 |
| Full Sail University FL · Private, for-profit · 85 graduates measured | $30,071 | $38,049 | $27,000 |
| Volunteer State Community College TN · Public · 18 graduates measured | $29,211 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Bronx Community College NY · Public · 29 graduates measured | $25,370 | $28,482 | Data unavailable |
| Pima Community College AZ · Public · 26 graduates measured | $24,081 | Data unavailable | $8,500 |
| San Jacinto Community College TX · Public · 20 graduates measured | $23,847 | $36,746 | Data unavailable |
| Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College MS · Public · 23 graduates measured | $21,757 | Data unavailable | $9,250 |
| CUNY Queensborough Community College NY · Public · 30 graduates measured | $19,693 | $27,011 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gnomon CA · Private, for-profit · 40 graduates measured | $60,803 | Data unavailable | $31,046 |
| Hamline University MN · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $46,009 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $40,240 | Data unavailable | $17,750 |
| Utah Tech University UT · Public · 25 graduates measured | $39,530 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| The College of Westchester NY · Private, for-profit · 17 graduates measured | $37,133 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Longwood University VA · Public · 42 graduates measured | $36,199 | $44,066 | $27,000 |
| SUNY Oneonta NY · Public · 46 graduates measured | $35,893 | $47,321 | $22,875 |
| College of the Holy Cross MA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $35,473 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Missouri-Columbia MO · Public · 47 graduates measured | $34,992 | $50,205 | $15,000 |
| The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public · 102 graduates measured | $34,774 | $53,829 | $20,500 |
| Stockton University NJ · Public · 33 graduates measured | $34,650 | $40,199 | $24,742 |
| Southern Oregon University OR · Public · 30 graduates measured | $34,444 | $43,044 | Data unavailable |
| Salem State University MA · Public · 54 graduates measured | $34,366 | $32,484 | $24,984 |
| The University of Texas at Dallas TX · Public · 341 graduates measured | $33,812 | $37,825 | $21,500 |
| University of Kentucky KY · Public · 80 graduates measured | $33,806 | $40,538 | $17,750 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $90,576 | $113,887 | Data unavailable |
| University of Central Florida FL · Public · 112 graduates measured | $69,298 | $84,762 | Data unavailable |
| Minneapolis College of Art and Design MN · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $66,037 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of the Arts London · Foreign · 26 graduates measured | $36,939 | $58,389 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Visual and Performing Arts, General
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary | $78,620 | +2.2% | Master's degree |
| Art directors | $114,850 | +4.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Craft artists | $46,080 | +2.0% | No formal educational credential |
| Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators | $55,490 | -2.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Special effects artists and animators | $102,030 | -0.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Artists and related workers, all other | $71,240 | +2.0% | No formal educational credential |
| Graphic designers | $62,960 | -1.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Photographers | $44,660 | -0.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (2)
- 50.0101 Visual and Performing Arts, General
- 50.0102 Digital Arts