Visual and Performing Arts at CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College

The first-year earnings of $9,376 are alarmingly low—less than half the New York state median for performing arts programs and in the bottom 10% nationally. Even accounting for the 57% Pell grant population and the reality that many arts graduates cobble together part-time gigs initially, this figure suggests graduates are severely underemployed immediately after completion. The debt of $11,000 isn't catastrophic, but when your child is earning less than $10,000 annually, any debt becomes a burden.

The dramatic income jump to $24,310 by year four offers some hope, though this still lags behind what graduates from Suffolk County Community College earn right out of the gate. Among New York's 17 programs, this one ranks near the bottom for early outcomes. The pattern suggests graduates may need additional credentials or simply time to build careers in notoriously low-paying creative fields. For a student passionate about the arts and planning to transfer to a four-year program, BMCC's low tuition might make sense as a stepping stone—but as a terminal degree, the economics are troubling. Your child would likely face years of financial strain while building toward that higher mid-career earning level, assuming they stay in their field at all.