BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a bachelor's degree in Visual and Performing Arts, Other worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 12 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$243,074 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.

87.1 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−89%Estimated return after 10 years
$48,155Observed 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.

What stays fixed$48,155 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$48,155Typical earnings four years after completion
$48,338Average earnings five years after completion
$25,500Typical federal student debt
16thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
6Degrees awarded in 2024–25
10College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 1 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Visual and Performing Arts, Other

How much do Visual and Performing Arts, Other bachelor's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $48,155 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 $25,500. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Visual and Performing Arts, Other?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $45,735 to $51,248 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Visual and Performing Arts, Other?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 1 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

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
$27,491
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$35,607
Federal debt
$5,000
Programs in the comparison
2
2 report earnings →
CURRENT VIEW

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$48,155
Federal debt
$25,500
Programs in the comparison
12
10 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$51,194
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
3
3 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$45,735National median$48,15575th percentile$51,248
10 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$51,24875th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$25,500Median federal debt across programs that report it
2Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
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

University of California, San Diego

$64,822 four years after completionLa Jolla, CA · inspect the full program →
Lowest reported federal debt

Illinois State University

$22,000 among completer borrowersNormal, IL · inspect the full program →
Largest recent graduating class

Columbia University in the City of New York

69 reported awards in 2024–25New York, NY · 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.

All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

12 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 12 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of California, San Diego$64,8222University of South Florida$53,7563SUNY at Purchase College$53,1004Portland State University$51,2485Illinois State University$49,7746Columbia University in the City of New York$46,5357New York University$45,9918Clemson University$45,7359Millikin University$43,85810Berklee College of Music$37,117

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

Career outlook

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.

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 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.