Fine and Studio Arts: is this associate's degree worth it?
National picture across 38 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$210,083 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
—Modeled economic break-even
−196%Modeled 10-year ROI
$34,728Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$34,728Median reported earnings · year 4
$29,093Average reported earnings · year 5
$10,250Median federal debt
9thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
38Reporting programs
38With 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
- $41,627
- Federal debt
- $11,594
- Reporting programs
- 6
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $34,728
- Federal debt
- $10,250
- Reporting programs
- 38
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $41,265
- Federal debt
- $25,500
- Reporting programs
- 465
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $48,763
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 60
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $48,466
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 7
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$30,454National median$34,72875th percentile$34,728
38 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1San Diego City College$71,3022Northern Essex Community College$44,6153Erie Community College$43,5964Cumberland University$42,8275County College of Morris$41,1716Bristol Community College$38,4707Montgomery County Community College$37,7698Austin Community College District$36,9919CUNY LaGuardia Community College$36,50210Connecticut State Community College$34,728Observed 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 · 13 crosswalk linksCraft ArtistsSOC 27-1012 · 9 crosswalk linksFine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and IllustratorsSOC 27-1013 · 9 crosswalk linksSpecial Effects Artists and AnimatorsSOC 27-1014 · 3 crosswalk linksArtists and Related Workers, All OtherSOC 27-1019 · 2 crosswalk linksJewelers and Precious Stone and Metal WorkersSOC 51-9071 · 2 crosswalk linksAppraisers of Personal and Business PropertySOC 13-2022 · 1 crosswalk linksArchivistsSOC 25-4011 · 1 crosswalk linksArt DirectorsSOC 27-1011 · 1 crosswalk linksCuratorsSOC 25-4012 · 1 crosswalk linksMuseum Technicians and ConservatorsSOC 25-4013 · 1 crosswalk linksPhotographersSOC 27-4021 · 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 | San Diego City CollegeAssociate's Degree | San Diego, CA | $71,302 | Not available | +148% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Northern Essex Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Haverhill, MA | $44,615 | Not available | -104% | Negative payoff |
| 3 | Erie Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Buffalo, NY | $43,596 | Not available | -113% | Negative payoff |
| 4 | Cumberland UniversityAssociate's Degree | Lebanon, TN | $42,827 | Not available | -117% | Negative payoff |
| 5 | County College of MorrisAssociate's Degree | Randolph, NJ | $41,171 | $9,250 | -136% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | Bristol Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Fall River, MA | $38,470 | Not available | -165% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Montgomery County Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Blue Bell, PA | $37,769 | $13,641 | -164% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | Austin Community College DistrictAssociate's Degree | Austin, TX | $36,991 | $16,500 | -178% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | CUNY LaGuardia Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Long Island City, NY | $36,502 | $8,750 | -183% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Connecticut State Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | New Britain, CT | $34,728 | Not available | -191% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | Holyoke Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Holyoke, MA | $34,441 | Not available | -199% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | Community College of Rhode IslandAssociate's Degree | Warwick, RI | $33,659 | $10,250 | -210% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | New York, NY | $32,956 | $9,500 | -220% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | Full Sail UniversityAssociate's Degree | Winter Park, FL | $32,703 | $27,500 | -173% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | Hudson County Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Jersey City, NJ | $31,361 | $6,899 | -230% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | Community College of PhiladelphiaAssociate's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $31,136 | $13,926 | -222% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Itawamba Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Fulton, MS | $30,518 | Not available | -246% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | Monroe Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Rochester, NY | $30,473 | $9,481 | -241% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Fashion Institute of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | New York, NY | $30,454 | $12,000 | -213% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | Pasadena City CollegeAssociate's Degree | Pasadena, CA | $30,107 | Not available | -252% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | Santa Ana CollegeAssociate's Degree | Santa Ana, CA | $29,816 | Not available | -258% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | El Paso Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | El Paso, TX | $28,829 | Not available | -268% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Nassau Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Garden City, NY | $28,086 | Not available | -262% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | CUNY Queensborough Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Bayside, NY | $26,984 | Not available | -282% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | Hudson Valley Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Troy, NY | $25,831 | Not available | -279% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Delta CollegeAssociate's Degree | University Center, MI | $25,251 | Not available | -299% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | College of Southern NevadaAssociate's Degree | Las Vegas, NV | $23,204 | Not available | -311% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Antelope Valley Community College DistrictAssociate's Degree | Lancaster, CA | $17,588 | Not available | -381% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Asnuntuck Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | , | $34,728 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 30 | Connecticut State Community College HousatonicAssociate's Degree | , | $34,728 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 31 | Manchester Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | , | $34,728 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 32 | Naugatuck Valley Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | , | $34,728 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 33 | Middlesex Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | , | $34,728 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 34 | Three Rivers Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | , | $34,728 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 35 | Northwestern Connecticut Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | , | $34,728 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 36 | Quinebaug Valley Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | , | $34,728 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 37 | Connecticut State Community College GatewayAssociate's Degree | , | $34,728 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 38 | Connecticut State Community College TunxisAssociate's Degree | , | $34,728 | Not available | 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.