Updated March 2026 · College Scorecard data
Is Visual and Performing Arts Worth It?
Visual and Performing Arts lands in the middle with a national average ROI Score of 60/100 across 17 reporting schools — a Grade C profile where outcomes vary sharply by institution, and school choice matters more than usual. Across the field, median debt is $29K against $42K in first-year earnings — a healthy debt load — repayment falls comfortably under the 8% rule on a standard 10-year plan.
Visual and Performing Arts ROI at a Glance
lands in the middle with a national average ROI Score of 60/100 across 17 reporting schools — a Grade C profile where outcomes vary sharply by institution, and school choice matters more than usual. The graduation-weighted average across reporting institutions is the cleanest single number for the field, but it hides the spread — top programs like Antioch College run far ahead of the bottom of the table. School choice within Visual and Performing Arts matters because the major-level number is a starting point, not a prediction.
Earnings rise sharply from $42K in year 1 to $57K by year 5 — 35% growth in four years. That is a strong promotion curve, common in technology, engineering, and finance tracks where early-career skill compounding pays off fast. The five-year earnings trajectory is one of the strongest signals of long-run career fit; a flat curve suggests the major leads to roles where seniority does not pay off without graduate credentials, while a steep curve indicates fast skill compounding inside the field.
Best in field: Antioch College leads the field with a 64/100 ROI Score (Grade C). Median debt at completion is $22K against $42K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 0.52x. Worst in field: Art Academy of Cincinnati sits at the bottom of the field with a 41/100 ROI Score (Grade D). Median debt at completion is $48K against $42K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 1.15x.
Debt-to-Income at the Field Level
At a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69x, Visual and Performing Arts shows a healthy debt load — repayment falls comfortably under the 8% rule on a standard 10-year plan. Federal financial-aid research uses the “8% rule” — monthly student loan payments under 8% of gross monthly income — which translates to debt below roughly 0.75x annual earnings on a standard 10-year plan. Programs running above 1.0x typically need income-driven repayment to stay current; above 1.5x, the math rarely works without forgiveness mechanics or an unusually steep career ramp. For borrower-rights and repayment guidance, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is the most accessible federal source.
Debt vs Earnings by School
Visual and Performing Arts by School
| School | State | Median Debt | Year 1 Earnings | Year 5 Earnings | ROI Grade | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antioch College | Oh | $22K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Bloomfield College | Nj | $21K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Albany State University | Ga | $25K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Bennington College | Vt | $26K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Bethany College | Ks | $26K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| California State University-San Marcos | Ca | $28K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Christopher Newport University | Va | $26K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| College for Creative Studies | Mi | $27K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Columbus College of Art & Design | Oh | $28K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Atlanta Metropolitan State College | Ga | $30K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Bridgewater College | Va | $28K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Champlain College | Vt | $29K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Cheyney University of Pennsylvania | Pa | $29K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Academy of Art University | Ca | $31K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Azusa Pacific University | Ca | $31K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Blackburn College | Il | $35K | $42K | $57K | C | CAUTION |
| Art Academy of Cincinnati | Oh | $48K | $42K | $57K | D | CAUTION |
How Visual and Performing Arts’s ROI Score Is Calculated
The Visual and Performing Arts ROI Score is a weighted composite of five financial-aid signals: debt-to-income (35%), earnings premium over a high-school diploma (25%), 10-year BLS job-growth outlook (20%), graduation rate (10%), and debt vs. the national average (10%). Each school + major combination is scored individually, then aggregated up to the field level. The grade thresholds (A ≥ 80, B ≥ 65, C ≥ 50, D ≥ 35, F < 35) are calibrated so a typical break-even degree lands in the C range. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Visual and Performing Arts degree worth it?
Visual and Performing Arts lands in the middle with a national average ROI Score of 60/100 across 17 reporting schools — a Grade C profile where outcomes vary sharply by institution, and school choice matters more than usual. The dominant signal is debt-to-income: at a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69x on average, the field shows a healthy debt load — repayment falls comfortably under the 8% rule on a standard 10-year plan. Outcomes vary sharply by institution, so the school you choose within Visual and Performing Arts usually matters more than the major label itself.
What is the average debt for a Visual and Performing Arts degree?
Median debt at completion across the 17 U.S. schools reporting Visual and Performing Arts data to the College Scorecard is $29K, against a national all-major average of $26K. The range across schools is wide — $22K at the top of the table to $48K at the bottom.
How much do Visual and Performing Arts graduates earn?
Earnings rise sharply from $42K in year 1 to $57K by year 5 — 35% growth in four years. That is a strong promotion curve, common in technology, engineering, and finance tracks where early-career skill compounding pays off fast. National average first-year earnings across all 30,224 school + major combinations on the site is $58K — for context, Visual and Performing Arts sits below that benchmark.
Which school has the best Visual and Performing Arts program by ROI?
Antioch College leads the field with a 64/100 ROI Score (Grade C). Median debt at completion is $22K against $42K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 0.52x. On the other end, Art Academy of Cincinnati sits at the bottom of the field with a 41/100 ROI Score (Grade D). Median debt at completion is $48K against $42K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 1.15x.
Where does this Visual and Performing Arts data come from?
Every figure on this page comes from federal public datasets — the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov) for debt and earnings, IPEDS (nces.ed.gov/ipeds) for graduation rates, and BLS Employment Projections for the job-growth outlook component of the ROI Score. Borrower-rights guidance: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov). The dataset was last refreshed March 2026.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. All federal datasets are public domain.
Last updated 2026-03-15 · 17 schools reporting for this major.