ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Fine and Studio Arts worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 38 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
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.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−196%Estimated return after 10 years
$34,728Observed 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.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$192,720
$8,000Current college-wide context−$208,720
$9,000Current college-wide context−$210,720
$16,000Annual price−$224,720
$24,000Annual price−$240,720
$32,000Annual price−$256,720
$40,000Annual price−$272,720
Outcomes at a glance
$34,728Typical earnings four years after completion
$29,093Average earnings five years after completion
$10,250Typical federal student debt
9thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
38College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Fine and Studio Arts
How much do Fine and Studio Arts associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $34,728 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $10,250. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Fine and Studio Arts?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $30,454 to $34,728 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Fine and Studio Arts?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
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
- $41,627
- Federal debt
- $11,594
- Programs in the comparison
- 6
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $34,728
- Federal debt
- $10,250
- Programs in the comparison
- 38
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $41,265
- Federal debt
- $25,500
- Programs in the comparison
- 465
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $48,763
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 60
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $48,466
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 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.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
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
San Diego City College
$71,302 four years after completionSan Diego, CA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtHudson County Community College
$6,899 among completer borrowersJersey City, NJ · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classConnecticut State Community College
93 reported awards in 2024–25New Britain, CT · 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.
$43,596Observed year-4 earnings$23,204
San Diego City College$7,935 price · $71,302 earningsNorthern Essex Community College$6,046 price · $44,615 earningsErie Community College$7,765 price · $43,596 earningsCumberland University$18,759 price · $42,827 earningsCounty College of Morris$8,895 price · $41,171 earningsBristol Community College$5,547 price · $38,470 earningsMontgomery County Community College$11,124 price · $37,769 earningsAustin Community College District$6,390 price · $36,991 earningsCUNY LaGuardia Community College$6,120 price · $36,502 earningsConnecticut State Community College$11,513 price · $34,728 earningsHolyoke Community College$8,068 price · $34,441 earningsCommunity College of Rhode Island$6,513 price · $33,659 earningsCUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College$4,976 price · $32,956 earningsFull Sail University$38,875 price · $32,703 earningsHudson County Community College$7,307 price · $31,361 earningsCommunity College of Philadelphia$11,911 price · $31,136 earningsItawamba Community College$4,616 price · $30,518 earningsMonroe Community College$6,353 price · $30,473 earningsFashion Institute of Technology$19,095 price · $30,454 earningsPasadena City College$3,864 price · $30,107 earningsSanta Ana College$3,133 price · $29,816 earningsEl Paso Community College$3,206 price · $28,829 earningsNassau Community College$7,095 price · $28,086 earningsCUNY Queensborough Community College$4,458 price · $26,984 earningsHudson Valley Community College$8,501 price · $25,831 earningsDelta College$4,547 price · $25,251 earningsCollege of Southern Nevada$6,615 price · $23,204 earningsAntelope Valley Community College District$3,860 price · $17,588 earnings
$3,206Annual college-wide average net price$18,759
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
28 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
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
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
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
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 rangeFine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators$55,490 median wage11,220 jobs nationwide-2.9% projected growth through 2035 · 2,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$31,630–$144,210 typical wage rangeCraft Artists$46,080 median wage4,580 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 1,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credential$25,960–$71,990 typical wage rangeSpecial Effects Artists and Animators$102,030 median wage19,970 jobs nationwide-0.3% projected growth through 2035 · 4,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$58,600–$177,110 typical wage rangeArtists and Related Workers, All Other$71,240 median wage6,930 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 1,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credential$36,580–$136,660 typical wage rangeJewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers$52,540 median wage22,440 jobs nationwide-3.2% projected growth through 2035 · 3,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$35,580–$87,540 typical wage rangeArt Directors$114,850 median wage53,070 jobs nationwide+4.2% projected growth through 2035 · 12,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$64,900–$213,050 typical wage rangeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040 median wage1,065,210 jobs nationwide-0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 63,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,780–$107,600 typical wage rangeArchivists$64,550 median wage7,970 jobs nationwide+3.4% projected growth through 2035 · 1,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$39,970–$110,550 typical wage rangeCurators$63,420 median wage12,150 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 1,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$40,470–$107,140 typical wage rangeMuseum Technicians and Conservators$51,440 median wage12,310 jobs nationwide+3.6% projected growth through 2035 · 1,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$33,780–$87,530 typical wage rangePhotographers$44,660 median wage51,760 jobs nationwide-0.7% projected growth through 2035 · 10,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$30,820–$91,810 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
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.
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.