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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 5001

Visual and Performing Arts, General: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 14 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · 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.

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

—Modeled economic break-even

−214%Modeled 10-year ROI

$32,304Observed earnings · year 4

Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$32,304Median reported earnings · year 4

$28,497Average reported earnings · year 5

$10,500Median federal debt

5thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

14Reporting programs

10With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

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: $57,561
Federal debt: $22,894
Reporting programs: 2

1 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $32,304
Federal debt: $10,500
Reporting programs: 14

10 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $41,156
Federal debt: $26,000
Reporting programs: 81

72 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $70,439
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $68,318
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 4

4 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$28,432National median$32,30475th percentile$34,099

10 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Northern Virginia Community College$49,551 2Full Sail University$38,049 3San Jacinto Community College$36,746 4Suffolk County Community College$34,099 5Community College of Baltimore County$32,927 6Dutchess Community College$31,680 7CUNY Bronx Community College$28,482 8Middlesex College$28,432 9KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts$27,042 10CUNY Queensborough Community College$27,011

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

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

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 · 2 crosswalk linksArtists and Related Workers, All OtherSOC 27-1019 · 2 crosswalk linksPhotographersSOC 27-4021 · 2 crosswalk linksArt DirectorsSOC 27-1011 · 1 crosswalk linksCraft ArtistsSOC 27-1012 · 1 crosswalk linksFine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and IllustratorsSOC 27-1013 · 1 crosswalk linksGraphic DesignersSOC 27-1024 · 1 crosswalk linksSpecial Effects Artists and AnimatorsSOC 27-1014 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS, GENERAL

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	Northern Virginia Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Annandale, VA	$49,551	Not available	-59%	Negative payoff
2	Full Sail UniversityAssociate's Degree	Winter Park, FL	$38,049	$30,500	-141%	Negative payoff
3	San Jacinto Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Pasadena, TX	$36,746	Not available	-172%	Negative payoff
4	Suffolk County Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Selden, NY	$34,099	Not available	-208%	Negative payoff
5	Community College of Baltimore CountyAssociate's Degree	Baltimore, MD	$32,927	Not available	-210%	Negative payoff
6	Dutchess Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Poughkeepsie, NY	$31,680	$5,500	-221%	Negative payoff
7	CUNY Bronx Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Bronx, NY	$28,482	Not available	-267%	Negative payoff
8	Middlesex CollegeAssociate's Degree	Edison, NJ	$28,432	Not available	-275%	Negative payoff
9	KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic ArtsAssociate's Degree	Dallas, TX	$27,042	Not available	-229%	Negative payoff
10	CUNY Queensborough Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Bayside, NY	$27,011	Not available	-282%	Negative payoff
11	Pima Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Tucson, AZ	Not available	$9,541	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	$3,405
12	CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	New York, NY	Not available	$11,000	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	$4,976
13	Harrisburg Area Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Harrisburg, PA	Not available	$17,392	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	$14,471
14	Austin Community College DistrictAssociate's Degree	Austin, TX	Not available	$10,000	WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive	$6,390

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.