Fine and Studio Arts at University of Kansas

The University of Kansas Fine Arts program posts some of the weakest earnings outcomes in Kansas—graduates here earn about $27,500 less than peers at Fort Hays State and trail both the state median ($27,518) and national median ($24,742) by significant margins. That 10th percentile ranking among Kansas programs is particularly troubling when students have multiple in-state options that clearly deliver better results.

The 56% earnings jump from year one to year four might seem encouraging, but it merely brings graduates to $26,000—still below what most programs achieve right after graduation. With $22,361 in debt, you're looking at nearly a full year's starting salary owed, creating a difficult financial start for careers in fields that typically require years of portfolio building and networking. The debt level itself is reasonable, but paired with such low earnings, the math doesn't work in graduates' favor.

The critical caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances could vary wildly. But if your child is serious about art school in Kansas, Fort Hays and Kansas State demonstrate that significantly better earning trajectories are possible without leaving the state system. At these earnings levels, families should have candid conversations about financial support post-graduation and whether the specific opportunities at KU—faculty, facilities, location—justify the performance gap.