ROI Major

Fine and Studio Arts at University of Texas of the Permian Basin

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 50.07

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Fine and Studio Arts degree from University of Texas of the Permian Basin earn a median salary of $50,802 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $55,160. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.9 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

$37,132

Typical Career

$50,802

Top Performers

$59,422

Estimated break-even: 10.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$339

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,234. Most students can comfortably afford about a $339 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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, Mining, Quarrying & Oil/Gas Extraction.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 35.4%
Health Care & Social Assistance 13.4%
Mining, Quarrying & Oil/Gas Extraction 7.7%

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

$55,160

Nominal: $50,802 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).

10.9 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 $28,414 $41,326 $56,249
5 Years After Graduation $37,132 $50,802 $59,422
10 Years After Graduation $48,349 $63,044 $80,101

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 $50,802 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)
= $50,802 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $55,160 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 the University of Texas of the Permian Basin experience a steady increase in earnings over time. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $41,326, rising to $50,802 after five years, and reaching $63,044 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $55,159.61, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive income relative to national standards despite a lower cost of living in Texas.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (35.4%), Health Care & Social Assistance (13.4%), and Mining, Quarrying & Oil/Gas Extraction (7.7%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 10.9 years, suggesting a moderate return on investment. While the earnings potential is promising, students should consider the time required to recoup educational costs relative to their career paths.

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 Texas of the Permian Basin 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.

Explore More