BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Visual and Performing Arts, General worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 81 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$299,247 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.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−115%Estimated return after 10 years
$41,156Observed 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−$218,440
$8,000Annual price−$250,440
$16,000Annual price−$282,440
$20,000Current college-wide context−$298,440
$24,000Annual price−$314,440
$32,000Annual price−$346,440
$40,000Annual price−$378,440
Outcomes at a glance
$41,156Typical earnings four years after completion
$40,787Average earnings five years after completion
$26,000Typical federal student debt
5thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
69Degrees awarded in 2024–25
72College 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.
Four useful answers about Visual and Performing Arts, General
How much do Visual and Performing Arts, General bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $41,156 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 Visual and Performing Arts, General?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $37,012 to $46,198 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$37,012National median$41,15675th percentile$46,198
72 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
Fordham University
$65,848 four years after completionBronx, NY · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtUniversity of California, San Diego
$15,000 among completer borrowersLa Jolla, CA · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classUniversity of Central Florida
423 reported awards in 2024–25Orlando, FL · 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.
$57,002Observed year-4 earnings$43,084
Fordham University$44,338 price · $65,848 earningsChamplain College$35,860 price · $57,883 earningsTexas A&M University-College Station$21,315 price · $57,002 earningsGeorge Mason University$17,915 price · $54,703 earningsThe University of Texas at Austin$19,857 price · $53,829 earningsUniversity of Central Florida$10,411 price · $52,922 earningsUniversity of Missouri-Columbia$20,268 price · $50,205 earningsLesley University$31,152 price · $49,175 earningsArizona State University Campus Immersion$14,967 price · $48,589 earningsUniversity of Advancing Technology$28,522 price · $48,112 earningsCalifornia State University, San Marcos$10,229 price · $48,043 earningsUniversity of Wisconsin-Whitewater$14,158 price · $47,819 earningsUniversity of Florida$6,541 price · $47,546 earningsUniversity of Florida-Online$4,815 price · $47,546 earningsSUNY Oneonta$19,158 price · $47,321 earningsOtis College of Art and Design$51,248 price · $47,220 earningsBowling Green State University-Main Campus$24,022 price · $46,944 earningsUniversity of Toledo$17,249 price · $46,198 earningsUniversity of California, San Diego$12,470 price · $45,915 earningsRasmussen University-Minnesota$17,962 price · $45,899 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona$22,213 price · $45,170 earningsPennsylvania State University-Main Campus$32,875 price · $45,170 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington$18,071 price · $45,170 earningsPennsylvania State University-World Campus$19,550 price · $45,170 earningsUniversity of New Mexico-Main Campus$15,489 price · $44,091 earningsLongwood University$19,066 price · $44,066 earningsEmpire State University$11,676 price · $43,473 earningsAcademy of Art University$40,613 price · $43,084 earningsRamapo College of New Jersey$18,173 price · $43,063 earnings
$6,541Annual college-wide average net price$40,613
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 →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Fordham University$65,8482Champlain College$57,8833Texas A&M University-College Station$57,0024George Mason University$54,7035The University of Texas at Austin$53,8296University of Central Florida$52,9227University of Missouri-Columbia$50,2058Lesley University$49,1759Arizona State University Campus Immersion$48,58910Arizona State University Digital Immersion$48,589Observed 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.
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.