Fine and Studio Arts at Cleveland State University

Cleveland State's Fine and Studio Arts program produces graduates who start well below state and national averages—$23,352 versus roughly $25,000 elsewhere—but the trajectory shows real momentum. By year four, earnings jump 40% to nearly $33,000, pulling ahead of the typical arts graduate. Still, with small cohort sizes here, these numbers could shift significantly year to year, and the low first-year earnings make that $28,000 debt load feel heavier than it looks on paper.

The program's performance sits right at the median for Ohio, where top programs like Bowling Green and University of Cincinnati place graduates earning $29,000-$31,000 from the start. The school's 95% acceptance rate and modest SAT profile suggest it serves a different population than those competitors—nearly 40% of students receive Pell grants—but that doesn't excuse the weak initial placement. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.20 means a year's salary barely covers the loans, creating tough early years even if prospects improve.

For families considering this, the question is whether your student can weather two to three lean years while building their career. The upward earnings curve is encouraging, but arts careers are unpredictable and these numbers come from too few graduates to bet on confidently. If your child is committed to studio art specifically and needs to stay in Cleveland, this works—but comparable Ohio programs offer better starting positions without meaningfully higher debt.