Fine and Studio Arts at Brigham Young University

BYU's Fine and Studio Arts program achieves something rare: it significantly outperforms the typical art school outcome while keeping debt remarkably low. At $34,241 in first-year earnings, graduates earn nearly 40% more than the national median for arts programs and rank in the 95th percentile nationally. The $16,656 in debt is less than half the national figure, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.49—manageable enough that graduates could realistically pay it off in under two years if they focused on it.

Within Utah, the picture is more competitive but still solid. While BYU ranks in the 60th percentile among state art programs and trails Utah State by about $1,300 in earnings, it maintains the advantage on debt. Utah State graduates carry more than $20,000 in loans, making BYU's lighter debt load meaningful for artists who often pursue entrepreneurial or freelance paths where cash flow matters more than peak earnings. The 6% earnings growth to year four suggests graduates find stable footing, even if they're not on explosive career trajectories.

For parents worried about funding an arts degree, this program minimizes the downside risk. Your child won't be trapped by crushing debt, and BYU's LDS tuition subsidy plays a major role in that advantage. The earnings won't make anyone rich, but they're consistently above what most art graduates achieve nationally.