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Art History

Types of Degrees Art History Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Art History can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	143
Bachelor’s Degree	2,381
Master’s Degree	825
Doctor’s Degree	208

What Art History Majors Need to Know

Programs in Art History build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Art History graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Art History emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Fine Arts — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Art History program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Art History careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Art History graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Art History professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Art History graduates include:

• Art Handler
• Museum Registrar
• Preparator
• Museum Specialist
• Field Collector
• Natural Science Curator
• Educational Institution Curator
• Herbarium Curator
• Photography Curator
• Old Coin Dealer
• Digital Curator
• Art Curator
• Museum Manager
• Coin Collector
• Museum Curator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Art History graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	48.9%
Doctoral degree	16.4%
Bachelor’s degree	15.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.2%
Some college courses	3.6%
Postsecondary certificate	2.7%
Post-master’s certificate	2.6%
First professional degree	1.3%
Post-doctoral training	0.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Art History?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 82.5% of Art History degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,934	82.5%
Men	623	17.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Art History graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,990	55.9%
Asian	283	8.0%
Hispanic or Latino	549	15.4%
Black or African American	131	3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	11	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.1%
Two or More Races	173	4.9%
Race Unknown	99	2.8%
International Students	319	9.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Art History Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Art History graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$25,613
4 years	$36,289
5 years	$41,536

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $41,536 — roughly 62% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Art History Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Art History. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	2
Bachelor’s	2	7
Master’s	3	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Art History Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Art History graduates earn a median of $36,289 four years after completion — about 5% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Fine and Studio Arts	50.07
Art/Art Studies, General	50.0701
Ceramic Arts and Ceramics	50.0711
Drawing	50.0705
Fiber, Textile and Weaving Arts	50.0712
Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other	50.0799
Fine/Studio Arts, General	50.0702
Intermedia/Multimedia	50.0706
Jewelry Arts	50.0713
Metal Arts	50.0714
Painting	50.0708
Printmaking	50.0710

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.