Fine and Studio Arts at Otis College of Art and Design

Given the small sample size here, these numbers may not tell the full story, but what they do show is troubling: graduates are earning $11,590 one year out—less than half the already-modest state median of $22,129 for fine arts programs. This places Otis in the bottom 10% of California's 70 fine arts programs and the bottom 5% nationally. With $30,875 in debt (above both state and national medians), graduates face nearly three years of first-year earnings just to break even on their loans.

The gap between Otis and other California options is stark. USC fine arts graduates earn $50,000, but even public alternatives like Cal State East Bay ($33,220) and Sonoma State ($29,035) deliver earnings more than double Otis's figures. The 20% earnings growth by year four sounds positive until you realize it still only reaches $13,917—barely above the poverty line and well below what graduates from comparable programs are earning in their first year.

For a private art school charging private-school debt, these outcomes suggest a serious mismatch between cost and career preparation. Unless your child has specific opportunities at Otis that would justify the financial risk—like crucial industry connections or scholarship support that dramatically reduces borrowing—the California public university system offers fine arts training with far better economic prospects.