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Art Studies

Types of Degrees Art Studies Majors Are Earning

Those studying Art Studies may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	4,072
Associate’s Degree	3,792
Bachelor’s Degree	10,236
Master’s Degree	607
Doctor’s Degree	4

What Art Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• Education and Training — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Fine Arts — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Art Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Art Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Originality — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.6 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Working with Computers	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Art Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Moodle	Computer based training software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe After Effects	Video creation and editing software	—
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Art Studies graduates include:

• Ceramics Teacher
• Music Educator
• Band Teacher
• Music Theory Teacher
• Art Instructor
• Singing Teacher
• Art Educator
• Choir Teacher
• Guitar Teacher
• Music Instructor
• Violin Teacher
• Vocal Teacher
• Organ Teacher
• Choral Teacher
• Voice Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	30.8%
Master’s degree	23.9%
Doctoral degree	14.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	7.2%
Some college courses	6.8%
Postsecondary certificate	5.1%
Less than a high school diploma	3.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.3%
Post-master’s certificate	2.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Art Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 71% of Art Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	13,293	71.0%
Men	5,418	29.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	8,446	45.1%
Asian	1,409	7.5%
Hispanic or Latino	5,511	29.5%
Black or African American	1,319	7.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	160	0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	40	0.2%
Two or More Races	992	5.3%
Race Unknown	404	2.2%
International Students	430	2.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Art Studies Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Art Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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 Studies Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Art Studies. 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	11	17
Bachelor’s	4	11
Master’s	4	3

^{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 Studies Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Art Studies 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 History, Criticism and Conservation	50.0703
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.