ROI Major

Fine and Studio Arts at Angelo State University

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 50.07

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Fine and Studio Arts degree from Angelo State University earn a median salary of $43,987 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $47,760. The degree typically pays for itself in 22.7 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$30,955

Typical Career

$43,987

Top Performers

$54,965

Estimated break-even: 22.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$293

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,666. Most students can comfortably afford about a $293 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Finance & Insurance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 30.5%
Health Care & Social Assistance 19.2%
Finance & Insurance 6.4%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$47,760

Nominal: $43,987 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

22.7 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $21,704 $28,894 $38,073
5 Years After Graduation $30,955 $43,987 $54,965
10 Years After Graduation $39,242 $48,791 $62,818

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $43,987 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $43,987 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $47,760 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Fine and Studio Arts program at Angelo State University can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $28,894, which rises to $43,987 after five years and reaches $48,791 after a decade. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $47,760, reflecting a competitive position relative to other regions, particularly given Texas's cost of living index of 0.921 compared to the national average.

In terms of career pathways, graduates predominantly enter Educational Services (30.5%) and Health Care & Social Assistance (19.2%), with a smaller percentage in Finance & Insurance (6.4%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 22.7 years, indicating a long-term return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, while the initial earnings may be modest, the potential for growth and diverse industry opportunities can provide a valuable career trajectory for graduates.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Fine and Studio Arts degree at Angelo State University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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