ROI Major

Fine and Studio Arts at University of Connecticut

CT · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 50.07

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Fine and Studio Arts degree from University of Connecticut earn a median salary of $56,983 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $49,422. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.3 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

$39,836

Typical Career

$56,983

Top Performers

$77,393

Estimated break-even: 9.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$380

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,749. Most students can comfortably afford about a $380 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Connecticut buys what costs $1.15 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 20.5%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 16.5%
Educational Services 13.9%

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

$49,422

Nominal: $56,983 in Connecticut (COL 115.3% of national avg) · 13.3% lower 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).

9.3 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 $24,709 $35,269 $49,822
5 Years After Graduation $39,836 $56,983 $77,393
10 Years After Graduation $54,051 $74,959 $115,506

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 $56,983 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CT, which has a cost-of-living index of 115.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $56,983 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1530) = $49,422 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Fine and Studio Arts program at the University of Connecticut experience a gradual increase in earnings over time. One year post-graduation, the median earnings stand at $35,269, rising to $56,983 after five years, and reaching $74,959 a decade later. However, considering the cost of living in Connecticut, which has a COL index of 1.153 compared to the national average, the purchasing-power-adjusted salary five years after graduation is approximately $49,421.51, indicating that while earnings grow, the purchasing power may be affected by higher living costs.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (20.5%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (16.5%), and Educational Services (13.9%). With an estimated break-even point of around 9.3 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Fine and Studio Arts is moderate. While graduates can expect to enter diverse fields, the financial payoff may take nearly a decade to match that of those who only completed high school.

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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.