ROI Major

Fine and Studio Arts at Sinclair Community College

OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 50.07

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Fine and Studio Arts degree from Sinclair Community College earn a median salary of $35,686 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $39,607. The degree typically pays for itself in over 10 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$26,416

Typical Career

$35,686

Top Performers

$47,243

Break-even is not clear from the available earnings data.

Debt-to-Income Check

$238

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,974. Most students can comfortably afford about a $238 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 33.8%
Manufacturing 9.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.1%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$39,607

Nominal: $35,686 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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).

>10 years (extrapolated) 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 $20,011 $27,237 $37,198
5 Years After Graduation $26,416 $35,686 $47,243
10 Years After Graduation $28,103 $38,050 $51,099

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 $35,686 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $35,686 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $39,607 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 Sinclair Community College experience a gradual increase in earnings over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $28,917, which rises to $37,124 after five years and reaches $50,215 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted median earnings five years post-graduation are approximately $41,203.11, reflecting the cost of living in Ohio, which has a COL index of 0.901 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries for graduates are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, accounting for 33.8% and 31.8% of employment, followed by Manufacturing at 17.1%. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 23.4 years, indicating a long-term return on investment. While the earnings trajectory suggests potential for growth, the extended break-even period may be a consideration for students evaluating the financial viability of this career path.

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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.