Fine and Studio Arts at Fayetteville State University

A $16,454 starting salary is barely above minimum wage, and while fine arts programs rarely command high initial earnings, this outcome ranks at the bottom 5th percentile nationally and in the bottom quarter within North Carolina. Compare this to NC State's fine arts graduates earning $30,577—nearly double—or even UNC Charlotte at $25,855. The $27,497 in debt means graduates face payments equivalent to about 17% of their gross income, a burden that typically requires forbearance or income-driven repayment plans.

The critical caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so one or two students working part-time jobs or pursuing unpaid internships could severely skew the numbers downward. That said, even accounting for statistical noise, there's no reasonable scenario where these outcomes approach what similar North Carolina programs deliver. Fayetteville State serves a predominantly working-class student body (53% receive Pell grants), and these graduates are emerging with debt they'll struggle to service on arts-sector wages.

If your child is committed to fine arts and Fayetteville State for other reasons—proximity to home, specific faculty, campus community—understand they'll likely need financial support beyond graduation or a plan for supplemental income. Otherwise, several NC public universities demonstrate that fine arts degrees don't have to mean sub-$20,000 starting salaries.