---
title: Is a Visual and Performing Arts, Other degree worth the debt?
cip: 5099
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is a Visual and Performing Arts, Other degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **11** colleges (11 of 11 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $27,170 ($31,127 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $22,798 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.77× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $22,310–$36,566 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bachelor's | $27,170 | $22,798 | 0.77× | 11 | 11/11 |

## Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Duke University (NC) | $38,636 | — |
| Columbia University in the City of New York (NY) | $37,826 | $26,985 |
| University of California-San Diego (CA) | $37,732 | $19,968 |
| SUNY at Purchase College (NY) | $35,399 | $22,798 |
| New York University (NY) | $30,081 | $23,250 |
| University of South Florida (FL) | $27,170 | — |
| Baldwin Wallace University (OH) | $25,829 | — |
| Clemson University (SC) | $24,202 | $22,250 |
| Illinois State University (IL) | $20,419 | $21,875 |
| Berklee College of Music (MA) | $20,397 | $27,000 |
| Western Illinois University (IL) | $14,453 | — |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/visual-and-performing-arts-other.jsonld` · `/education/fields/visual-and-performing-arts-other.json`