Visual and Performing Arts at Southeast Missouri State University

Southeast Missouri State's Visual and Performing Arts program graduates earn about $26,700 in their first year—slightly above the national median for arts programs but notably behind Missouri's state median of $28,200. This 40th percentile ranking among Missouri programs matters because many students will choose in-state schools for tuition reasons, and even within affordable Missouri options, this program trails the pack. The University of Missouri-Columbia's similar program produces first-year earnings about $3,000 higher.

The financial picture improves modestly over time, with earnings growing 21% to reach $32,225 by year four. The debt load of $26,750 equals roughly one year's starting salary—not catastrophic for an arts degree, but it means graduates will spend their early career years managing payments on relatively modest incomes. At least the debt burden is lighter than two-thirds of similar programs nationally, which helps.

For Missouri families specifically, this presents a tradeoff: Southeast Missouri State offers accessible admission and reasonable debt, but its arts graduates earn measurably less than peers at other state schools. If your student is committed to the arts and values smaller-campus environment, the numbers work—barely. But if maximizing early career earnings matters, even staying in-state at Mizzou would likely deliver better returns.