Art History and Conservation: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
Art History and Conservation is a rigorous academic field dedicated to understanding the evolution of visual culture across time and civilizations. It integrates critical analysis of artistic expression with hands-on expertise in preserving cultural heritage, preparing students to engage deeply with artworks as both historical artifacts and enduring cultural symbols.
- Theory of Art: Explores foundational concepts that define aesthetic value, artistic intent, and the philosophical underpinnings of creative expression across different historical and cultural contexts.
- Art History Research Methods: Develops advanced skills in archival investigation, visual analysis, and scholarly inquiry to interpret artworks within their broader historical and societal frameworks.
- Connoisseurship: Trains students in the nuanced identification and attribution of artworks through detailed examination of style, technique, materials, and provenance.
- Preservation and Conservation of Works of Art: Focuses on scientific and ethical practices for stabilizing, restoring, and maintaining artworks to ensure their longevity and integrity for future generations.
- Study of Specific Periods: Examines major artistic movements and developments from antiquity through the modern era, including Renaissance, Baroque, Modernism, and contemporary practices.
- Global Cultures and Traditions: Investigates artistic production across diverse regions—such as East Asia, the Islamic world, Africa, and the Americas—to highlight cross-cultural exchange and regional distinctiveness.
- Artistic Styles and Movements: Analyzes defining characteristics of key styles—from Gothic and Impressionism to Abstract Expressionism—within their historical, political, and technological milieus.
- Thematic Approaches: Engages with central themes such as religion, power, identity, gender, and the body in visual culture, revealing how art reflects and shapes societal values.
Art History and Conservation Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
Art History and Conservation Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Art History and Conservation degrees, including Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary, Curators and Archivists. 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 130,290 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 |
| Curators 25-4012 | $61,770 | $37,110 - $105,520 | 12,280 | $29.70 |
| Archivists 25-4011 | $61,570 | $39,330 - $104,780 | 7,050 | $29.60 |
| Museum Technicians and Conservators 25-4013 | $47,460 | $30,720 - $82,790 | 13,070 | $22.82 |
Art History and Conservation Salary Map by State
Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $47,930 in Kentucky to $82,848 in District of Columbia—a 73% difference. The highest-paying states include District of Columbia, New York, and Hawaii. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 130,290 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 History and Conservation by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 100 institutions offering Art History and Conservation 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 History and Conservation is found at New York University (NYU) (121 graduates), Sotheby's Institute of Art, NY (94 graduates), CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) (76 graduates), Columbia University in the City of New York (75 graduates), and University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles (62 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 2,551 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York University (NYU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
121 | New York, New York | Private | nyu.edu |
| Sotheby's Institute of Art |
Master's
|
94 | New York, New York | Private | sothebysinstitute.com |
| CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) |
Associate's
|
76 | New York, New York | Public | bmcc.cuny.edu |
| Columbia University in the City of New York |
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
75 | New York, New York | Private | columbia.edu |
| University of California (UCLA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
62 | Los Angeles, California | Public | ucla.edu |
| Yale University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
53 | New Haven, Connecticut | Private | yale.edu |
| CUNY Hunter College |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
53 | New York, New York | Public | hunter.cuny.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
Other Award
|
52 | Madison, Wisconsin | Public | wisc.edu |
| University of California (UCB) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
49 | Berkeley, California | Public | berkeley.edu |
| University of California (UCSC) |
Bachelor's
|
49 | Santa Cruz, California | Public | ucsc.edu |
| The University of Texas |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
49 | Austin, Texas | Public | utexas.edu |
| Lindenwood University |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
44 | Saint Charles, Missouri | Private | lindenwood.edu |
| Boston University (BU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
43 | Boston, Massachusetts | Private | bu.edu |
| University of California (UCSB) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
42 | Santa Barbara, California | Public | ucsb.edu |
| The New School |
Master's
|
38 | New York, New York | Private | newschool.edu |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
36 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | saic.edu |
| Florida State University (FSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
35 | Tallahassee, Florida | Public | fsu.edu |
| University of Chicago (UChicago) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
34 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | uchicago.edu |
| University of California (UCR) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
32 | Riverside, California | Public | ucr.edu |
| Harvard University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
32 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Private | harvard.edu |
| Bard College |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
32 | Annandale-On-Hudson, New York | Private | bard.edu |
| University of Michigan (U‑M) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
29 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Public | umich.edu |
| George Washington University (GW) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
28 | Washington, District of Columbia | Private | gwu.edu |
| Princeton University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
28 | Princeton, New Jersey | Private | princeton.edu |
| CUNY Queensborough Community College (QCC) |
Associate's
|
28 | Bayside, New York | Public | qcc.cuny.edu |
| North Carolina State University (NC State) |
Bachelor's
|
28 | Raleigh, North Carolina | Public | ncsu.edu |
| Temple University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
28 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Public | temple.edu |
| SUNY Buffalo State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
27 | Buffalo, New York | Public | suny.buffalostate.edu |
| Brown University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
27 | Providence, Rhode Island | Private | brown.edu |
| Blinn College District |
Associate's
|
27 | Brenham, Texas | Public | blinn.edu |
| Barnard College |
Bachelor's
|
26 | New York, New York | Private | barnard.edu |
| University of Pittsburgh |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
25 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Public | pitt.edu |
| University of Washington (UW) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
25 | Seattle, Washington | Public | washington.edu |
| Florida International University (FIU) |
Bachelor's
|
24 | Miami, Florida | Public | fiu.edu |
| University of Kansas (KU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
24 | Lawrence, Kansas | Public | ku.edu |
| University of California (UCD) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
23 | Davis, California | Public | ucdavis.edu |
| University of Southern California (USC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
23 | Los Angeles, California | Private | usc.edu |
| South Dakota State University (SDSU) |
Other Award
|
23 | Brookings, South Dakota | Public | sdstate.edu |
| The University of Texas (UTSA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
22 | San Antonio, Texas | Public | utsa.edu |
| Emory University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
21 | Atlanta, Georgia | Private | emory.edu |
| Tulane University of Louisiana |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
21 | New Orleans, Louisiana | Private | tulane.edu |
| Washington University in St Louis (WashU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
21 | Saint Louis, Missouri | Private | wustl.edu |
| Rice University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
21 | Houston, Texas | Private | rice.edu |
| Brigham Young University (BYU) |
Bachelor's
|
21 | Provo, Utah | Private | byu.edu |
| University of Denver (DU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
20 | Denver, Colorado | Private | du.edu |
| University of South Florida (USF) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
20 | Tampa, Florida | Public | usf.edu |
| University of Georgia (UGA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
20 | Athens, Georgia | Public | uga.edu |
| Indiana University (IUB) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
20 | Bloomington, Indiana | Public | indiana.edu |
| University of Maryland (UMCP) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
20 | College Park, Maryland | Public | umd.edu |
| University of Massachusetts |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
20 | Amherst, Massachusetts | Public | umass.edu |
| Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
19 | Savannah, Georgia | Private | scad.edu |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
19 | New York, New York | Public | gc.cuny.edu |
| Pennsylvania State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
19 | University Park, Pennsylvania | Public | psu.edu |
| University of California (UCSD) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
18 | La Jolla, California | Public | ucsd.edu |
| University of Colorado Boulder (CU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
18 | Boulder, Colorado | Public | colorado.edu |
| University of Delaware (UD) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
18 | Newark, Delaware | Public | udel.edu |
| School of Visual Arts (SVA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
18 | New York, New York | Private | sva.edu |
| Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
18 | Cleveland, Ohio | Private | case.edu |
| Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
18 | Richmond, Virginia | Public | vcu.edu |
| Northwestern University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
17 | Evanston, Illinois | Private | northwestern.edu |
| Mount Holyoke College (MHC) |
Bachelor's
|
17 | South Hadley, Massachusetts | Private | mtholyoke.edu |
| Rutgers University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
17 | New Brunswick, New Jersey | Public | newbrunswick.rutgers.edu |
| Stony Brook University (SBU) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
17 | Stony Brook, New York | Public | stonybrook.edu |
| Syracuse University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
17 | Syracuse, New York | Private | syracuse.edu |
| Portland State University (PSU) |
Bachelor's
|
17 | Portland, Oregon | Public | pdx.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
17 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Public | uwm.edu |
| Stanford University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
17 | Stanford, California | Private | stanford.edu |
| Tufts University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
16 | Medford, Massachusetts | Private | tufts.edu |
| Pratt Institute |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
16 | Brooklyn, New York | Private | pratt.edu |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
16 | Chapel Hill, North Carolina | Public | unc.edu |
| Bryn Mawr College |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
16 | Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania | Private | brynmawr.edu |
| College of Charleston (CofC) |
Bachelor's
|
16 | Charleston, South Carolina | Public | cofc.edu |
| University of North Texas (UNT) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
16 | Denton, Texas | Public | unt.edu |
| George Mason University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
16 | Fairfax, Virginia | Public | www2.gmu.edu |
| University of Florida (UF) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
15 | Gainesville, Florida | Public | ufl.edu |
| Fordham University |
Bachelor's
|
15 | Bronx, New York | Private | fordham.edu |
| Duke University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
15 | Durham, North Carolina | Private | duke.edu |
| Western Washington University (WWU) |
Bachelor's
|
15 | Bellingham, Washington | Public | wwu.edu |
| University of Arizona |
Bachelor's
|
14 | Tucson, Arizona | Public | arizona.edu |
| Loyola Marymount University (LMU) |
Bachelor's
|
14 | Los Angeles, California | Private | lmu.edu |
| University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
14 | Chicago, Illinois | Public | uic.edu |
| Boston College (BC) |
Bachelor's
|
14 | Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | Private | bc.edu |
| Wellesley College |
Bachelor's
|
14 | Wellesley, Massachusetts | Private | wellesley.edu |
| Williams College |
Master's
|
14 | Williamstown, Massachusetts | Private | williams.edu |
| State University of New York |
Bachelor's
|
14 | New Paltz, New York | Public | newpaltz.edu |
| SUNY |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
14 | Purchase, New York | Public | purchase.edu |
| Kenyon College |
Bachelor's
|
14 | Gambier, Ohio | Private | kenyon.edu |
| University of Houston (UH) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
14 | Houston, Texas | Public | uh.edu |
| University of Utah (U of U) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
14 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Public | utah.edu |
| Wesleyan University |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Middletown, Connecticut | Private | wesleyan.edu |
| Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Boston, Massachusetts | Public | massart.edu |
| Smith College |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Northampton, Massachusetts | Private | smith.edu |
| Kent State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
13 | Kent, Ohio | Public | kent.edu |
| University of Pennsylvania (Penn) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
13 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Private | upenn.edu |
| Binghamton University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
12 | Vestal, New York | Public | binghamton.edu |
| Ohio University (OHIO) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
12 | Athens, Ohio | Public | ohio.edu |
| Saint Ambrose University (SAU) |
Bachelor's
|
11 | Davenport, Iowa | Private | sau.edu |
| Skidmore College |
Bachelor's
|
11 | Saratoga Springs, New York | Private | skidmore.edu |
| Wake Forest University (WFC) |
Bachelor's
|
11 | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Private | wfu.edu |
| Oberlin College |
Bachelor's
|
11 | Oberlin, Ohio | Private | oberlin.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Art History and Conservation programs
How much can I earn with a Art History and Conservation degree?
Salaries for Art History and Conservation graduates vary by role and location. Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $80,190 annually, while Curators earn around $61,770. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in District of Columbia average $82,848 compared to $47,930 in Kentucky. Approximately 130,290 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 History and Conservation programs?
Currently 351 accredited institutions offer Art History and Conservation degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include New York University (NYU) (121 graduates), Sotheby's Institute of Art, NY (94 graduates), and CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) (76 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 History and Conservation growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have decreased over the past decade, rising from 5,239 in 2010 to a peak of 3,718 in 2020, before declining slightly to 3,557 in 2023-24. This represents a 32% 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 History and Conservation degree?
This degree prepares you for roles such as Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary, Curators, and Archivists. Related occupations employ approximately 130,290 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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