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BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a bachelor's degree in Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 48 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
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.

87.2 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−89%Estimated return after 10 years
$48,194Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$48,194 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$48,194Typical earnings four years after completion
$44,528Average earnings five years after completion
$26,000Typical federal student debt
17thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
7Degrees awarded in 2024–25
44College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 2 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management

How much do Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management bachelor's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $48,194 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $26,000. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $42,421 to $53,710 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 5 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.

Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$44,263
Federal debt
$21,492
Programs in the comparison
2
2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$30,931
Federal debt
$20,000
Programs in the comparison
3
3 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$48,194
Federal debt
$26,000
Programs in the comparison
48
44 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$64,819
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
21
21 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

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.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$53,71075th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$26,000Median federal debt across programs that report it
8Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

The New School

$74,936 four years after completionNew York, NY · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

University of Southern California

$21,250 among completer borrowersLos Angeles, CA · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Belmont University

410 reported awards in 2024–25Nashville, TN · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

$63,353Observed year-4 earnings$44,297
$10,411Annual college-wide average net price$49,465
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

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$54,328

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$78,620 median wage93,560 jobs nationwide+2.2% projected growth through 2035 · 8,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$47,570–$163,350 typical wage rangeManagers, All Other$141,900 median wage622,190 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 100,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$74,300–$238,270 typical wage rangeAgents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes$82,890 median wage12,620 jobs nationwide+9.7% projected growth through 2035 · 2,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,010–$284,570 typical wage rangeProducers and Directors$90,360 median wage143,120 jobs nationwide+4.0% projected growth through 2035 · 12,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$45,780–$198,540 typical wage rangeMusic Directors and Composers$73,710 median wage12,540 jobs nationwide+1.2% projected growth through 2035 · 4,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$39,880–$165,760 typical wage range

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Bachelor's Degree

Fine and Studio Arts

Year-4 earnings
$41,265
Federal debt
$25,500
465 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Design and Applied Arts

Year-4 earnings
$52,204
Federal debt
$26,977
338 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Music

Year-4 earnings
$43,385
Federal debt
$26,000
314 reporting programs →Bachelor's Degree

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

Year-4 earnings
$40,073
Federal debt
$25,000
282 reporting programs →
EXPLORE BY STATE

Where this degree has enough data to compare

State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.

NY9 programs$57,826 average earnings

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.