ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Visual and Performing Arts, General worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 14 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$238,585 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
−214%Estimated return after 10 years
$32,304Observed 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−$216,965
$8,000Annual price−$232,965
$11,000Current college-wide context−$238,965
$16,000Annual price−$248,965
$24,000Annual price−$264,965
$32,000Annual price−$280,965
$40,000Annual price−$296,965
Outcomes at a glance
$32,304Typical earnings four years after completion
$28,497Average earnings five years after completion
$10,500Typical federal student debt
5thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
10College 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 Visual and Performing Arts, General
How much do Visual and Performing Arts, General associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $32,304 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 $10,500. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Visual and Performing Arts, General?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $28,432 to $34,099 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Visual and Performing Arts, General?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 8 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
- $57,561
- Federal debt
- $22,894
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $32,304
- Federal debt
- $10,500
- Programs in the comparison
- 14
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $41,156
- Federal debt
- $26,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 81
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $70,439
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $68,318
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 4
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$28,432National median$32,30475th percentile$34,099
10 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
Northern Virginia Community College
$49,551 four years after completionAnnandale, VA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtDutchess Community College
$5,500 among completer borrowersPoughkeepsie, NY · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classAustin Community College District
74 reported awards in 2024–25Austin, TX · 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.
$38,049Observed year-4 earnings$27,011
Northern Virginia Community College$9,919 price · $49,551 earningsFull Sail University$38,875 price · $38,049 earningsSan Jacinto Community College$12,143 price · $36,746 earningsSuffolk County Community College$5,258 price · $34,099 earningsCommunity College of Baltimore County$9,844 price · $32,927 earningsDutchess Community College$10,065 price · $31,680 earningsCUNY Bronx Community College$4,462 price · $28,482 earningsMiddlesex College$2,288 price · $28,432 earningsKD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts$24,783 price · $27,042 earningsCUNY Queensborough Community College$4,458 price · $27,011 earnings
$2,288Annual college-wide average net price$24,783
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
14 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 14 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Northern Virginia Community College$49,5512Full Sail University$38,0493San Jacinto Community College$36,7464Suffolk County Community College$34,0995Community College of Baltimore County$32,9276Dutchess Community College$31,6807CUNY Bronx Community College$28,4828Middlesex College$28,4329KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts$27,04210CUNY Queensborough Community College$27,011Observed 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 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 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 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 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 rangeGraphic Designers$62,960 median wage197,830 jobs nationwide-1.7% projected growth through 2035 · 16,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$39,520–$104,910 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 range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
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.