Program directoryPROGRAM-CATEGORY PAYOFF

Visual and Performing Arts, General bachelor's degree outcomes at Bennington College

Bennington, VT · Private nonprofit · Federal field 5001

Data scope

Federal records group outcomes by college, four-digit field and credential level. A record may cover several catalog programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to the same-degree benchmark.

$1,730 below the national median for the same field and credential.

Debt pressure
67.6% of annual earnings
Positive-payoff price ceiling
Not reached
10-year scenario
−117% · Negative payoff
Price evidence
College-wide context only
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$39,958 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is this college’s institution-wide average net price, not the exact price of this program category. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

-0%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$20,809$20,724
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
Not availableWorking in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
22Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
41Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2023–24 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

96Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
22Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
50Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
83Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$34,808Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$39,958$5,150 above the preliminary benchmark

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$30,947

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWING$27,000

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$39,958

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$286/mo

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

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AVERAGE NET PRICE$30,947Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$87,284Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE44.5%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE71.2%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$20,809Year 1
$39,958Year 4
$20,724Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

8.6% of gross monthly earnings

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$3,330
Estimated loan payment$286
41borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$39,958 vs. $41,688

$1,730 below the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$97,980 median wageVT estimate · 180 jobs · 25-1121+2.2% projected U.S. growth · 8k openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeArtists and Related Workers, All Other$71,240 median wageU.S. estimate · 6,930 jobs · 27-1019+2.0% projected U.S. growth · 1.1k openings/yrTypical entry: No formal educational credentialPhotographers$44,660 median wageU.S. estimate · 60 jobs · 27-4021-0.7% projected U.S. growth · 10.7k openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentArt Directors$129,260 median wageVT estimate · 80 jobs · 27-1011+4.2% projected U.S. growth · 12.2k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSpecial Effects Artists and Animators$102,030 median wageU.S. estimate · 19,970 jobs · 27-1014-0.3% projected U.S. growth · 4.2k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeGraphic Designers$65,690 median wageVT estimate · 410 jobs · 27-1024-1.7% projected U.S. growth · 16k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeFine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators$55,490 median wageU.S. estimate · 11,220 jobs · 27-1013-2.9% projected U.S. growth · 2.2k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeCraft Artists$46,080 median wageU.S. estimate · 4,580 jobs · 27-1012+2.0% projected U.S. growth · 1k openings/yrTypical entry: No formal educational credential
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Burlington, VT

Champlain College

$17,925 higher earnings

Earnings
$57,883
Debt
$27,000
Annual net price
$35,860
View outcomes →
College Station, TX

Texas A&M University-College Station

$17,044 higher earnings · $4,580 less debt · $9,632 lower annual net price

Earnings
$57,002
Debt
$22,420
Annual net price
$21,315
View outcomes →
Fairfax, VA

George Mason University

$14,745 higher earnings · $1,380 less debt · $13,032 lower annual net price

Earnings
$54,703
Debt
$25,620
Annual net price
$17,915
View outcomes →
Austin, TX

The University of Texas at Austin

$13,871 higher earnings · $5,500 less debt · $11,090 lower annual net price

Earnings
$53,829
Debt
$21,500
Annual net price
$19,857
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

22 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

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