Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 48 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$246,538 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
87.2 yrsModeled economic break-even
−89%Modeled 10-year ROI
$48,194Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$48,194Median reported earnings · year 4
$44,528Average reported earnings · year 5
$26,000Median federal debt
17thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
48Reporting programs
44With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $44,263
- Federal debt
- $21,492
- Reporting programs
- 2
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $30,931
- Federal debt
- $20,000
- Reporting programs
- 3
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $48,194
- Federal debt
- $26,000
- Reporting programs
- 48
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $64,819
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 21
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$42,421National median$48,19475th percentile$53,710
44 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1The New School$74,9362Wagner College$65,3733University of Southern California$63,3534Pace University$62,0645Syracuse University$61,8196Indiana University-Bloomington$60,0467Berklee College of Music$59,7038University of Central Florida$59,6499Baldwin Wallace University$55,11710Drexel University$54,328Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1121 · 5 crosswalk linksManagers, All OtherSOC 11-9199 · 4 crosswalk linksAgents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and AthletesSOC 13-1011 · 3 crosswalk linksMusic Directors and ComposersSOC 27-2041 · 1 crosswalk linksProducers and DirectorsSOC 27-2012 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The New SchoolBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $74,936 | $25,000 | -28% | Negative payoff |
| 2 | Wagner CollegeBachelor's Degree | Staten Island, NY | $65,373 | $27,000 | -30% | Negative payoff |
| 3 | University of Southern CaliforniaBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $63,353 | $21,250 | -41% | Negative payoff |
| 4 | Pace UniversityBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $62,064 | $25,985 | -44% | Negative payoff |
| 5 | Syracuse UniversityBachelor's Degree | Syracuse, NY | $61,819 | $27,000 | -50% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | Indiana University-BloomingtonBachelor's Degree | Bloomington, IN | $60,046 | $21,908 | -39% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Berklee College of MusicBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $59,703 | $26,375 | -61% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | University of Central FloridaBachelor's Degree | Orlando, FL | $59,649 | $22,569 | -34% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Baldwin Wallace UniversityBachelor's Degree | Berea, OH | $55,117 | $27,000 | -65% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Drexel UniversityBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $54,328 | $25,468 | -72% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Belmont UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nashville, TN | $53,893 | $22,750 | -72% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | Fashion Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $53,710 | $24,734 | -66% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | College of CharlestonBachelor's Degree | Charleston, SC | $52,674 | $21,874 | -70% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | SUNY College at PotsdamBachelor's Degree | Potsdam, NY | $52,583 | $27,000 | -68% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | SUNY at Purchase CollegeBachelor's Degree | Purchase, NY | $51,954 | $22,418 | -73% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | SUNY at FredoniaBachelor's Degree | Fredonia, NY | $50,671 | $27,000 | -77% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Columbia College ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $50,592 | $26,000 | -80% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | University of New HavenBachelor's Degree | West Haven, CT | $50,112 | $27,000 | -84% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointBachelor's Degree | Stevens Point, WI | $49,413 | Not available | -81% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | Trevecca Nazarene UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nashville, TN | $49,184 | Not available | -83% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | University of KentuckyBachelor's Degree | Lexington, KY | $49,167 | $27,000 | -84% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | Ferris State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Big Rapids, MI | $48,367 | $26,040 | -84% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | University of North AlabamaBachelor's Degree | Florence, AL | $48,020 | $24,937 | -87% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | Grand Canyon UniversityBachelor's Degree | Phoenix, AZ | $47,821 | $27,000 | -90% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | SUNY OneontaBachelor's Degree | Oneonta, NY | $47,324 | $23,250 | -91% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Middle Tennessee State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Murfreesboro, TN | $46,349 | $23,250 | -94% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Dallas Baptist UniversityBachelor's Degree | Dallas, TX | $45,369 | $22,781 | -99% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Howard UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $44,345 | $27,000 | -102% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Appalachian State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boone, NC | $44,297 | $24,412 | -103% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Anderson UniversityBachelor's Degree | Anderson, IN | $43,159 | Not available | -107% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Massachusetts College of Liberal ArtsBachelor's Degree | North Adams, MA | $42,983 | $25,000 | -108% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | University of North Carolina at GreensboroBachelor's Degree | Greensboro, NC | $42,920 | $22,976 | -109% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | Texas Wesleyan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Fort Worth, TX | $42,479 | Not available | -109% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | University of Wisconsin-Green BayBachelor's Degree | Green Bay, WI | $42,421 | Not available | -111% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | Loyola University New OrleansBachelor's Degree | New Orleans, LA | $42,089 | $27,000 | -111% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | Elmhurst UniversityBachelor's Degree | Elmhurst, IL | $41,122 | $26,125 | -114% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | University of Southern MississippiBachelor's Degree | Hattiesburg, MS | $41,095 | $26,000 | -115% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | Full Sail UniversityBachelor's Degree | Winter Park, FL | $38,847 | $39,580 | -118% | Negative payoff |
| 39 | Los Angeles Film SchoolBachelor's Degree | Hollywood, CA | $37,857 | $44,250 | -124% | Negative payoff |
| 40 | Florida Atlantic UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boca Raton, FL | $37,374 | Not available | -135% | Negative payoff |
| 41 | Delta State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cleveland, MS | $36,216 | $28,196 | -138% | Negative payoff |
| 42 | North Carolina State University at RaleighBachelor's Degree | Raleigh, NC | $35,867 | Not available | -137% | Negative payoff |
| 43 | Dean CollegeBachelor's Degree | Franklin, MA | $33,485 | Not available | -138% | Negative payoff |
| 44 | Butler UniversityBachelor's Degree | Indianapolis, IN | Not available | $25,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $36,041 |
| 45 | Marymount Manhattan CollegeBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | Not available | $26,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $36,861 |
| 46 | Elon UniversityBachelor's Degree | Elon, NC | Not available | $26,544 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $41,555 |
| 47 | The University of Texas at El PasoBachelor's Degree | El Paso, TX | Not available | $24,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $9,403 |
| 48 | University of the ArtsBachelor's Degree | , | $37,947 | $26,975 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.