ROI Major

Fine and Studio Arts at Wofford College

SC · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 50.07

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Fine and Studio Arts degree from Wofford College earn a median salary of $53,107 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $55,785. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.8 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

$40,342

Typical Career

$53,107

Top Performers

$69,154

Estimated break-even: 12.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$354

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,426. Most students can comfortably afford about a $354 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in South Carolina buys what costs $0.95 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 18.5%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 16.1%
Educational Services 13.6%

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

$55,785

Nominal: $53,107 in South Carolina (COL 95.2% of national avg) · 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).

12.8 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 $19,578 $26,428 $35,012
5 Years After Graduation $40,342 $53,107 $69,154
10 Years After Graduation $47,802 $59,848 $94,389

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 $53,107 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in SC, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $53,107 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520) = $55,785 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 Wofford College can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $26,428, which rises to $53,107 five years post-graduation and reaches $59,848 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $55,784.66, indicating that while initial earnings may be lower, the long-term financial outlook improves significantly.

In terms of employment sectors, a notable 18.5% of graduates find opportunities in Health Care & Social Assistance, followed by 16.1% in Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, and 13.6% in Educational Services. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 12.8 years, suggesting that while the financial return on investment may take time to materialize, the diverse career options available can provide a stable foundation for graduates in the long run.

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 Wofford College 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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