ROI Major

Fine and Studio Arts at University of North Georgia

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 50.07

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Fine and Studio Arts degree from University of North Georgia earn a median salary of $41,695 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $46,072. The degree typically pays for itself in 18.6 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

$28,654

Typical Career

$41,695

Top Performers

$57,301

Estimated break-even: 18.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$278

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,475. Most students can comfortably afford about a $278 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 29.2%
Health Care & Social Assistance 17.1%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.4%

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

$46,072

Nominal: $41,695 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% 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).

18.6 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 $22,616 $28,908 $42,822
5 Years After Graduation $28,654 $41,695 $57,301
10 Years After Graduation $40,922 $53,202 $79,157

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 $41,695 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $41,695 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $46,072 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Fine and Studio Arts from the University of North Georgia can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $28,908, which rises to $41,695 after five years and reaches $53,202 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted median earnings five years post-graduation are approximately $46,071.82, reflecting the cost of living in Georgia, which has a COL index of 0.905 compared to the national average of 1.0.

In terms of career opportunities, graduates predominantly enter the Educational Services sector (29.2%), followed by Health Care & Social Assistance (17.1%) and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (8.4%). The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 18.6 years, suggesting a long-term investment in education. While the earnings potential may not be as high as in some other fields, the diverse industries available can provide a range of career options 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 University of North Georgia 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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