Fine and Studio Arts at Biola University

Biola's fine arts program shows unusual strength for this field, with graduates earning $38,512 four years out—74% above California's median for arts programs and in the 60th percentile statewide. That places it in a cluster with schools like Sonoma State and LMU, though obviously well behind USC's outcomes. More importantly, the earnings trajectory tells a better story than the starting salary: that 52% jump from year one to year four suggests graduates are finding their footing in creative careers rather than stalling out early.

The $27,000 debt load sits between California's median ($17,500) and the national benchmark ($25,295), yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio just over 1.0. For context, many arts programs saddle students with twice their starting salary in debt, so this is relatively manageable. By year four, when earnings reach nearly $40,000, that debt burden looks even more reasonable for a creative field where income typically starts low.

The major caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so outcomes could vary significantly for your student. But if these numbers hold, Biola appears to balance the realities of arts careers—modest starting salaries, gradual income growth—with debt levels that won't derail that trajectory. It's not a financial home run, but for students committed to studio arts, it outperforms most California alternatives without the debt trap common in this major.