Art Studies: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
Art Studies offers a comprehensive foundation in the visual arts, designed to cultivate critical thinking, creative expression, and deep cultural awareness through the exploration of diverse artistic forms. This program emphasizes both historical context and contemporary practice, preparing students to engage thoughtfully with visual culture across time and global perspectives.
- Art History and Theory: Investigates the evolution of artistic movements, key figures, and philosophical underpinnings across civilizations, from ancient to modern eras.
- Studio Art Fundamentals: Develops hands-on skills in drawing, painting, sculpture, and mixed media, fostering technical proficiency and personal artistic voice.
- Photography and Visual Media: Explores photographic techniques, digital imaging, and the role of visual storytelling in media, advertising, and fine art.
- Visual Communication Design: Focuses on the principles of composition, color theory, and layout as applied to graphic design, branding, and multimedia projects.
- Cultural and Contextual Analysis: Encourages examination of how art reflects and shapes social, political, and economic environments across different cultures and historical periods.
Art Studies Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
Art Studies Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Art Studies degrees, including Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary, Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education and Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 1,236,030 professionals.
National Average Salaries
| Occupation | Median Salary | Salary Range | Total Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1121 | $80,190 | $47,040 - $194,530 | 97,890 | N/A |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 25-2031 | $64,580 | $47,330 - $104,670 | 1,072,540 | N/A |
| Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators 27-1013 | $60,560 | $26,420 - $140,660 | 10,000 | $29.12 |
| Photographers 27-4021 | $42,520 | $29,610 - $94,760 | 51,230 | $20.44 |
| Craft Artists 27-1012 | $38,480 | $22,620 - $65,850 | 4,370 | $18.50 |
Art Studies Salary Map by State
Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $44,570 in Kansas to $91,072 in California—a 104% difference. The highest-paying states include California, District of Columbia, and Rhode Island. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 1,236,030 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.
Average Salary Range:
Top Universities for Art Studies by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 100 institutions offering Art Studies programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Art Studies is found at Mesa Community College (MCC) (897 graduates), Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) (643 graduates), Glendale Community College (GCC) (630 graduates), Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) (545 graduates), and California State University (CSUN), Northridge (326 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 11,496 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.
| College Name | Award Levels | Graduates | Location | Control | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesa Community College (MCC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
|
897 | Mesa, Arizona | Public | mesacc.edu |
| Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
|
643 | Chandler, Arizona | Public | cgc.maricopa.edu |
| Glendale Community College (GCC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
|
630 | Glendale, Arizona | Public | gccaz.edu |
| Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
|
545 | Avondale, Arizona | Public | estrellamountain.edu |
| California State University (CSUN) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
326 | Northridge, California | Public | csun.edu |
| Rio Salado College |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
|
321 | Tempe, Arizona | Public | rio.maricopa.edu |
| Phoenix College (PC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
|
290 | Phoenix, Arizona | Public | phoenixcollege.edu |
| San Diego State University (SDSU) |
Bachelor's
|
285 | San Diego, California | Public | sdsu.edu |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
238 | Tempe, Arizona | Public | asu.edu |
| Scottsdale Community College (SCC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
|
234 | Scottsdale, Arizona | Public | scottsdalecc.edu |
| California State University (CSULB) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
228 | Long Beach, California | Public | csulb.edu |
| Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
|
198 | Phoenix, Arizona | Public | paradisevalley.edu |
| South Mountain Community College (SMCC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
|
195 | Phoenix, Arizona | Public | southmountaincc.edu |
| Arizona State University |
Bachelor's
|
171 | Scottsdale, Arizona | Public | asu.edu |
| California State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
167 | Los Angeles, California | Public | calstatela.edu |
| Santa Monica College (SMC) |
Associate's
|
152 | Santa Monica, California | Public | smc.edu |
| California State University (CSUF) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
150 | Fullerton, California | Public | fullerton.edu |
| University of Michigan (U‑M) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
147 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Public | umich.edu |
| University of Washington (UW) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
146 | Seattle, Washington | Public | washington.edu |
| James Madison University (JMU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
138 | Harrisonburg, Virginia | Public | jmu.edu |
| Tufts University |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
133 | Medford, Massachusetts | Private | tufts.edu |
| University of Central Florida (UCF) |
Bachelor's
|
129 | Orlando, Florida | Public | ucf.edu |
| University of Iowa |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
129 | Iowa City, Iowa | Public | uiowa.edu |
| University of Georgia (UGA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
127 | Athens, Georgia | Public | uga.edu |
| University of North Texas (UNT) |
Bachelor's
|
122 | Denton, Texas | Public | unt.edu |
| Pasadena City College (PCC) |
Associate's
Other Award
|
115 | Pasadena, California | Public | pasadena.edu |
| Brigham Young University (BYU–I) |
Bachelor's
|
114 | Rexburg, Idaho | Private | byui.edu |
| Kennesaw State University (KSU) |
Bachelor's
|
113 | Kennesaw, Georgia | Public | kennesaw.edu |
| Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) |
Associate's
|
112 | Annandale, Virginia | Public | nvcc.edu |
| GateWay Community College (GWCC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
|
111 | Phoenix, Arizona | Public | gatewaycc.edu |
| Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) |
Bachelor's
|
109 | Murfreesboro, Tennessee | Public | mtsu.edu |
| University of California (UCSC) |
Bachelor's
|
95 | Santa Cruz, California | Public | ucsc.edu |
| University of California (UCI) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
92 | Irvine, California | Public | uci.edu |
| University of Nevada (UNLV) |
Bachelor's
|
88 | Las Vegas, Nevada | Public | unlv.edu |
| California State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
85 | Fresno, California | Public | fresnostate.edu |
| Long Beach City College (LBCC) |
Associate's
|
85 | Long Beach, California | Public | lbcc.edu |
| Illinois State University (ISU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
79 | Normal, Illinois | Public | illinoisstate.edu |
| University of Memphis (UofM) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
73 | Memphis, Tennessee | Public | memphis.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
73 | Madison, Wisconsin | Public | wisc.edu |
| University of South Florida (USF) |
Bachelor's
|
72 | Tampa, Florida | Public | usf.edu |
| El Camino Community College District (ECC) |
Associate's
|
71 | Torrance, California | Public | elcamino.edu |
| Montana State University (MSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
70 | Bozeman, Montana | Public | montana.edu |
| Empire State University |
Associate's
Bachelor's
|
70 | Saratoga Springs, New York | Public | sunyempire.edu |
| Utah State University (USU) |
Associate's
Bachelor's
Master's
|
70 | Logan, Utah | Public | usu.edu |
| University of Minnesota (UMN) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
67 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Public | twin-cities.umn.edu |
| Western Washington University (WWU) |
Bachelor's
|
66 | Bellingham, Washington | Public | wwu.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
|
66 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Public | uwm.edu |
| Orange Coast College (OCC) |
Associate's
|
65 | Costa Mesa, California | Public | orangecoastcollege.edu |
| University of Hawaii (UHM) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
65 | Honolulu, Hawaii | Public | manoa.hawaii.edu |
| The University of Texas (UTSA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
64 | San Antonio, Texas | Public | utsa.edu |
| Bakersfield College (BC) |
Associate's
|
63 | Bakersfield, California | Public | bakersfieldcollege.edu |
| University of California (UCLA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
63 | Los Angeles, California | Public | ucla.edu |
| California State Polytechnic University (Cal Poly Humboldt) |
Bachelor's
|
63 | Arcata, California | Public | humboldt.edu |
| University of New Mexico (UNM) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
62 | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Public | unm.edu |
| University of Oregon (UO) |
Bachelor's
|
62 | Eugene, Oregon | Public | uoregon.edu |
| Florida Atlantic University (FAU) |
Bachelor's
|
61 | Boca Raton, Florida | Public | fau.edu |
| University of Houston (UH) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
61 | Houston, Texas | Public | uh.edu |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) |
Bachelor's
|
60 | Blacksburg, Virginia | Public | vt.edu |
| California State University (CSUCI) |
Bachelor's
|
60 | Camarillo, California | Public | csuci.edu |
| Towson University (TU) |
Bachelor's
|
59 | Towson, Maryland | Public | towson.edu |
| Ohio State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
59 | Columbus, Ohio | Public | osu.edu |
| The University of Texas |
Bachelor's
|
59 | Arlington, Texas | Public | uta.edu |
| California State University (CSUSB) |
Bachelor's
|
58 | San Bernardino, California | Public | csusb.edu |
| Eastern Illinois University (EIU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
58 | Charleston, Illinois | Public | eiu.edu |
| Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU) |
Bachelor's
|
58 | Hammond, Louisiana | Public | southeastern.edu |
| Stephen F Austin State University (SFASU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
58 | Nacogdoches, Texas | Public | sfasu.edu |
| Fresno City College (FCC) |
Associate's
Other Award
|
57 | Fresno, California | Public | fresnocitycollege.edu |
| West Virginia University (WVU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
57 | Morgantown, West Virginia | Public | wvu.edu |
| San Francisco State University (SFSU) |
Bachelor's
|
55 | San Francisco, California | Public | sfsu.edu |
| University of Missouri (Mizzou) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
55 | Columbia, Missouri | Public | missouri.edu |
| Riverside City College (RCC) |
Associate's
Other Award
|
54 | Riverside, California | Public | rcc.edu |
| Rowan University |
Bachelor's
|
53 | Glassboro, New Jersey | Public | rowan.edu |
| Montclair State University |
Bachelor's
|
53 | Montclair, New Jersey | Public | montclair.edu |
| Brown University |
Bachelor's
|
53 | Providence, Rhode Island | Private | brown.edu |
| Austin Peay State University (APSU) |
Bachelor's
|
53 | Clarksville, Tennessee | Public | apsu.edu |
| University of Utah (U of U) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
53 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Public | utah.edu |
| Mt San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) |
Associate's
|
52 | Walnut, California | Public | mtsac.edu |
| University of Alabama (UAH) |
Bachelor's
|
51 | Huntsville, Alabama | Public | uah.edu |
| Southwestern College (SWC) |
Associate's
|
50 | Chula Vista, California | Public | swccd.edu |
| Northern Michigan University (NMU) |
Associate's
Bachelor's
|
50 | Marquette, Michigan | Public | nmu.edu |
| University of Nevada (UNR) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
50 | Reno, Nevada | Public | unr.edu |
| Rutgers University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
50 | New Brunswick, New Jersey | Public | newbrunswick.rutgers.edu |
| Old Dominion University (ODU) |
Bachelor's
|
50 | Norfolk, Virginia | Public | odu.edu |
| College of the Canyons |
Associate's
|
49 | Santa Clarita, California | Public | canyons.edu |
| East Los Angeles College (ELAC) |
Associate's
|
49 | Monterey Park, California | Public | elac.edu |
| Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) |
Associate's
|
49 | Santa Rosa, California | Public | santarosa.edu |
| Ringling College of Art and Design |
Bachelor's
|
49 | Sarasota, Florida | Private | ringling.edu |
| New Jersey City University (NJCU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
49 | Jersey City, New Jersey | Public | njcu.edu |
| Binghamton University |
Bachelor's
|
49 | Vestal, New York | Public | binghamton.edu |
| The University of Tennessee (UTC) |
Bachelor's
|
49 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | Public | utc.edu |
| Austin Community College District (ACC) |
Associate's
|
49 | Austin, Texas | Public | austincc.edu |
| Oklahoma State University (OSU) |
Bachelor's
|
48 | Stillwater, Oklahoma | Public | okstate.edu |
| University of West Georgia (UWG) |
Bachelor's
|
47 | Carrollton, Georgia | Public | westga.edu |
| University of Wisconsin (UWEC) |
Bachelor's
|
47 | Eau Claire, Wisconsin | Public | uwec.edu |
| Pennsylvania State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
46 | University Park, Pennsylvania | Public | psu.edu |
| University of Alabama (UAB) |
Bachelor's
|
45 | Birmingham, Alabama | Public | uab.edu |
| Fullerton College |
Associate's
|
45 | Fullerton, California | Public | fullcoll.edu |
| Modesto Junior College (MJC) |
Associate's
|
45 | Modesto, California | Public | mjc.edu |
| University of Louisiana (UL Lafayette) |
Bachelor's
|
45 | Lafayette, Louisiana | Public | louisiana.edu |
| Texas Tech University (TTU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
45 | Lubbock, Texas | Public | ttu.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Art Studies programs
How much can I earn with a Art Studies degree?
Salaries for Art Studies graduates vary by role and location. Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $80,190 annually, while Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education earn around $64,580. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in California average $91,072 compared to $44,570 in Kansas. Approximately 1,236,030 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.
Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.
Which universities have the largest Art Studies programs?
Currently 730 accredited institutions offer Art Studies degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include Mesa Community College (MCC) (897 graduates), Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) (643 graduates), and Glendale Community College (GCC) (630 graduates).
Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.
Is enrollment in Art Studies growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have decreased over the past decade, rising from 19,010 in 2010 to a peak of 19,786 in 2020, before declining slightly to 18,711 in 2023-24. This represents a 2% decrease overall from 2010.
The field remains specialized with consistent demand, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.
Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.
What career paths are available with a Art Studies degree?
This degree prepares you for roles such as Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary, Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education, and Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators. Related occupations employ approximately 1,236,030 professionals nationwide.
Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.
Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
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