Fine and Studio Arts at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

UCD's Fine Arts program delivers something rare: studio arts graduates who actually see meaningful income growth. While that $31,144 starting salary is typical for art school graduates, the jump to $44,742 by year four represents 44% growth—a trajectory that matters when most arts programs see flat or declining earnings over time.

The numbers look particularly solid compared to the national landscape, where this program ranks in the 85th percentile. It outperforms the national median by over $6,000 in year one and nearly $20,000 by year four. Within Colorado, it sits comfortably in the middle of the pack, trailing University of Northern Colorado and CSU but ahead of several other state options. The debt load of $25,490 is essentially average—nothing alarming, but nothing exceptional either. The 0.82 debt-to-earnings ratio means your child would owe less than a year's starting salary, which is manageable territory for an arts degree.

Here's the practical upside: this program appears to prepare graduates for career progression rather than just entry-level work. Whether that's through stronger portfolio development, better connections to Denver's arts scene, or more practical business training isn't clear from the data alone. But for families concerned about the "starving artist" stereotype, this program offers evidence that earning potential in the arts can grow substantially with a few years of career development.