Fine & Studio Arts Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Fine & Studio Arts maps to BLS occupations averaging about $97,893, with roughly 22,610 workers nationwide in those roles. About 9,731 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median program completion runs near 57%.
Key Statistics
Fine & Studio Arts: what the data shows
Common questions about fine & studio arts degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a fine & studio arts degree?
A Fine & Studio Arts program is classified under NCES CIP 50.0702 in the Fine and Studio Arts field family (50.07).
A program that prepares individuals to generally function as creative artists in the visual and plastic media. Includes instruction in the traditional fine arts media (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, CAD/CAM) and/or modern media (ceramics, textiles, intermedia, photography, digital images), theory of art, color theory, composition and perspective, anatomy, the techniques and procedures for maintaining equipment and managing a studio, and art portfolio marketing.
IPEDS counted 9,731 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of fine & studio arts degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 50.07 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation (CIP 50.0703)
- Art/Art Studies, General (CIP 50.0701)
- Ceramic Arts and Ceramics (CIP 50.0711)
- Drawing (CIP 50.0705)
- Fiber, Textile and Weaving Arts (CIP 50.0712)
- Intermedia/Multimedia (CIP 50.0706)
- Jewelry Arts (CIP 50.0713)
- Metal Arts (CIP 50.0714)
- Painting (CIP 50.0708)
- Printmaking (CIP 50.0710)
- Sculpture (CIP 50.0709)
How long does it take to get a fine & studio arts degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 50.0702 in our file:
- 936 Associate (7.9% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 9,731 Bachelor's (81.9% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 1,195 Master's (10.1% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
- 21 Doctorate (0.2% of IPEDS total)—varies by program
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in fine & studio arts?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Active Learning, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 50.0702, but occupation data show multiple pathways.
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a fine & studio arts degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Fine & Studio Arts to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance | 3,320 | $50,280 |
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | 114,410 | $61,430 |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | 97,890 | $80,190 |
| Floral Designers | 40,160 | $36,120 |
| Craft Artists | 4,370 | $38,480 |
| Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas | 17,410 | $59,600 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a fine & studio arts degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Fine and Studio Arts bachelor's program family: median debt $30,451, median earnings $41,367 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 1.24.
About 8.3% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $8,092 and median net price is $16,670.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Fine & Studio Arts and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$8,092 Median In-State Public
$42,432 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Fine & Studio Arts majors are, on average, $8,092 for in-state public colleges, and $42,432 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Fine & Studio Arts programs.
Institutions awarding the most Fine & Studio Arts degrees
| # | Institution | State | Completions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | IL | 884 |
| 2 | California State University-Fullerton | CA | 302 |
| 3 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | 207 |
| 4 | San Jose State University | CA | 167 |
| 5 | University of North Texas | TX | 161 |
| 6 | Bard College | NY | 155 |
| 7 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | LA | 148 |
| 8 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | CO | 122 |
| 9 | California State University-East Bay | CA | 121 |
| 10 | The New School | NY | 106 |
IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), all award levels for this CIP in our extract.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
9,731 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Fine & Studio Arts from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Fine & Studio Arts.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 2 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 3 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 4 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 5 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,615 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Fine & Studio Arts programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tohono O'odham Community College | AZ | $932 |
| 2 | Barstow Community College | CA | $1,104 |
| 3 | Taft College | CA | $1,108 |
| 4 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 5 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Fine & Studio Arts programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 2 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
| 3 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
| 4 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
| 5 | Henry Ford College | MI | $660 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Fine & Studio Arts programs.
Graduation Rates
57.47% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
57.52% Average Graduation Rate
1,215 Institutions Reporting
45.67% - 69.78% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Fine & Studio Arts programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Fine & Studio Arts is in CA (1,410 completions). That state represents about 14.5% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is IL (0.69% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 1,410 | 14.5% | 0.31% |
| NY | 1,155 | 11.9% | 0.42% |
| IL | 950 | 9.8% | 0.69% |
| TX | 799 | 8.2% | 0.27% |
| NC | 417 | 4.3% | 0.34% |
| CO | 383 | 3.9% | 0.54% |
| FL | 380 | 3.9% | 0.17% |
| OH | 326 | 3.4% | 0.23% |
| PA | 305 | 3.1% | 0.18% |
| KY | 296 | 3.0% | 0.57% |
| MD | 237 | 2.4% | 0.32% |
| IN | 235 | 2.4% | 0.23% |
| LA | 226 | 2.3% | 0.48% |
| MA | 216 | 2.2% | 0.17% |
| SC | 191 | 2.0% | 0.34% |
| CT | 137 | 1.4% | 0.28% |
| MI | 136 | 1.4% | 0.12% |
| MO | 132 | 1.4% | 0.18% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 50.07 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation CIP 50.0703
- Art/Art Studies, General CIP 50.0701
- Ceramic Arts and Ceramics CIP 50.0711
- Drawing CIP 50.0705
- Fiber, Textile and Weaving Arts CIP 50.0712
- Intermedia/Multimedia CIP 50.0706
- Jewelry Arts CIP 50.0713
- Metal Arts CIP 50.0714
- Painting CIP 50.0708
- Printmaking CIP 50.0710
- Sculpture CIP 50.0709
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 50.0702 in the survey year used in our extract (11,883 total across levels below).
- 936 Associate (7.9% of IPEDS total)
- 9,731 Bachelor's (81.9% of IPEDS total)
- 1,195 Master's (10.1% of IPEDS total)
- 21 Doctorate (0.2% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $97,893. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Fine & Studio Arts graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance | $122,805 | 3,320 |
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | $91,347 | 114,410 |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | $130,318 | 97,890 |
| Floral Designers | $49,284 | 40,160 |
| Craft Artists | $88,430 | 4,370 |
| Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas | $68,341 | 17,410 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Fine and Studio Arts CIP family (90 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Fine & Studio Arts graduate.
- $30,451 median federal loan debt among completers
- $41,367 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 1.24 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 8.3% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$99,294 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Fine & Studio Arts majors is $99,294.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Fine & Studio Arts majors.
Occupations by Share
22,610 2023 Workforce
The number of Fine & Studio Arts graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Fine & Studio Arts by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Fine & Studio Arts in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Fine & Studio Arts.
Age distribution for Fine & Studio Arts degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
9,731 Total Degrees Awarded
2,467 Male (25.35%)
7,264 Female (74.65%)
Gender distribution of Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
5,085 White (52.26%)
1,828 Hispanic or Latino (18.79%)
820 Asian (8.43%)
618 Black or African American (6.35%)
508 Two or More Races (5.22%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Fine & Studio Arts are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Fine & Studio Arts.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Fine & Studio Arts field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Fine & Studio Arts majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Fine & Studio Arts majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Fine & Studio Arts majors.
About
A program that prepares individuals to generally function as creative artists in the visual and plastic media. Includes instruction in the traditional fine arts media (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, CAD/CAM) and/or modern media (ceramics, textiles, intermedia, photography, digital images), theory of art, color theory, composition and perspective, anatomy, the techniques and procedures for maintaining equipment and managing a studio, and art portfolio marketing.
In 2023, 9,731 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Fine & Studio Arts.
CIP Code
50.0702 - Fine & Studio Arts
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $30,451 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $41,367, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.24. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Fine & Studio Arts graduate.
About 8.3% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians. That is a program-level mobility signal, not a national underemployment rate.
Women earned 73.8% of 12,013 Fine & Studio Arts completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $97,893. The largest mapped role by headcount is Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance (3,320 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $8,092 in-state at public colleges and $42,432 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.