Program Payoff

Fine and Studio Arts programs in California

142 schools in California teach this, at certificate or associate level. 1 of them reports what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $31,870 at Gemological Institute of America-Carlsbad.

What this work pays in California

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education in California earn a median of $101,370 a year across 99,230 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.

Also leads toMedianJobs in California
Art Directors$137,78012,430
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$99,4109,820
Photographers$47,8407,980
Special Effects Artists and Animators$130,5407,410
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators$58,2402,560

Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

Schools

SchoolCredentialMedian debtGraduate earnings, 2 yrsGraduates
Gemological Institute of America-Carlsbad Carlsbad Undergraduate certificate $8,233 $31,870 (104 grads) 119
Academy of Art University San Francisco Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Academy of Art University San Francisco Associate's degree — not published 5
Allan Hancock College Santa Maria Associate's degree — not published 14
American River College Sacramento Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
American River College Sacramento Associate's degree — not published 16
Antelope Valley Community College District Lancaster Associate's degree — not published 27
Bakersfield College Bakersfield Associate's degree — not published 57
Barstow Community College Barstow Associate's degree — not published 1
Berkeley City College Berkeley Associate's degree — not published 11
Butte College Oroville Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Butte College Oroville Associate's degree — not published 12
Cabrillo College Aptos Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Cabrillo College Aptos Associate's degree — not published 29
Canada College Redwood City Associate's degree — not published 2
Cerritos College Norwalk Associate's degree — not published 33
Cerro Coso Community College Ridgecrest Associate's degree — not published 0
Chabot College Hayward Associate's degree — not published 11
Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga Associate's degree — not published 51
Citrus College Glendora Undergraduate certificate — not published 3
Citrus College Glendora Associate's degree — not published 46
City College of San Francisco San Francisco Associate's degree — not published 8
Clovis Community College Fresno Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Clovis Community College Fresno Associate's degree — not published 36
Coalinga College Coalinga Associate's degree — not published 2
College of Alameda Alameda Associate's degree — not published 5
College of Marin Kentfield Associate's degree — not published 7
College of San Mateo San Mateo Associate's degree — not published 10
College of the Canyons Santa Clarita Associate's degree — not published 31
College of the Desert Palm Desert Associate's degree — not published 18
College of the Redwoods Eureka Associate's degree — not published 3
College of the Sequoias Visalia Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
College of the Sequoias Visalia Associate's degree — not published 25
College of the Siskiyous Weed Associate's degree — not published 5
Columbia College Sonora Associate's degree — not published 4
Compton College Compton Associate's degree — not published 1
Contra Costa College San Pablo Associate's degree — not published 0
Copper Mountain Community College Joshua Tree Associate's degree — not published 1
Cosumnes River College Sacramento Associate's degree — not published 15
Crafton Hills College Yucaipa Associate's degree — not published 12
Cuesta College San Luis Obispo Undergraduate certificate — not published 2
Cuesta College San Luis Obispo Associate's degree — not published 31
Cuyamaca College El Cajon Associate's degree — not published 6
Cypress College Cypress Associate's degree — not published 36
De Anza College Cupertino Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
De Anza College Cupertino Associate's degree — not published 2
Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill Undergraduate certificate — not published 3
Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill Associate's degree — not published 34
East Los Angeles College Monterey Park Associate's degree — not published 46
El Camino Community College District Torrance Associate's degree — not published 91
Evergreen Valley College San Jose Associate's degree — not published 12
Feather River Community College District Quincy Associate's degree — not published 1
Folsom Lake College Folsom Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Folsom Lake College Folsom Associate's degree — not published 11
Foothill College Los Altos Hills Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Foothill College Los Altos Hills Associate's degree — not published 12
Fresno City College Fresno Undergraduate certificate — not published 26
Fresno City College Fresno Associate's degree — not published 32
Fullerton College Fullerton Associate's degree — not published 67
Gavilan College Gilroy Associate's degree — not published 11
Glendale Community College Glendale Undergraduate certificate — not published 2
Glendale Community College Glendale Associate's degree — not published 36
Golden West College Huntington Beach Associate's degree — not published 0
Grossmont College El Cajon Associate's degree — not published 28
Hartnell College Salinas Associate's degree — not published 10
Imperial Valley College Imperial Associate's degree — not published 21
Irvine Valley College Irvine Associate's degree — not published 37
Laguna College of Art and Design Laguna Beach Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Lake Tahoe Community College South Lake Tahoe Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Lake Tahoe Community College South Lake Tahoe Associate's degree — not published 3
Laney College Oakland Associate's degree — not published 4
Las Positas College Livermore Associate's degree — not published 12
Lassen Community College Susanville Associate's degree — not published 1
Lemoore College Lemoore Associate's degree — not published 14
Long Beach City College Long Beach Associate's degree — not published 67
Los Angeles City College Los Angeles Associate's degree — not published 28
Los Angeles Harbor College Wilmington Associate's degree — not published 11
Los Angeles Mission College Sylmar Associate's degree — not published 15
Los Angeles Pierce College Woodland Hills Associate's degree — not published 13
Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles Associate's degree — not published 3
Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen Undergraduate certificate — not published —
Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen Associate's degree — not published 32
Los Medanos College Pittsburg Associate's degree — not published 18
Madera Community College Madera Associate's degree — not published 8
Mendocino College Ukiah Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Mendocino College Ukiah Associate's degree — not published 4
Merced College Merced Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Merced College Merced Associate's degree — not published 19
Merritt College Oakland Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
MiraCosta College Oceanside Associate's degree — not published 18
Mission College Santa Clara Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Mission College Santa Clara Associate's degree — not published 10
Modesto Junior College Modesto Associate's degree — not published 57
Monterey Peninsula College Monterey Undergraduate certificate — not published 4
Monterey Peninsula College Monterey Associate's degree — not published 8
Moorpark College Moorpark Associate's degree — not published 27
Moreno Valley College Moreno Valley Associate's degree — not published 14
Mt San Antonio College Walnut Associate's degree — not published 37
Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto Associate's degree — not published 31
Napa Valley College Napa Associate's degree — not published 9
Norco College Norco Associate's degree — not published 17
Ohlone College Fremont Undergraduate certificate — not published 14
Ohlone College Fremont Associate's degree — not published 6
Orange Coast College Costa Mesa Undergraduate certificate — not published 5
Orange Coast College Costa Mesa Associate's degree — not published 42
Oxnard College Oxnard Associate's degree — not published 11
Palomar College San Marcos Associate's degree — not published 7
Pasadena City College Pasadena Undergraduate certificate — not published 8
Pasadena City College Pasadena Associate's degree — not published 72
Porterville College Porterville Associate's degree — not published 3
Reedley College Reedley Associate's degree — not published 16
Rio Hondo College Whittier Associate's degree — not published 13
Riverside City College Riverside Undergraduate certificate — not published 5
Riverside City College Riverside Associate's degree — not published 39
Sacramento City College Sacramento Associate's degree — not published 11
Saddleback College Mission Viejo Associate's degree — not published 42
San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino Associate's degree — not published 20
San Diego City College San Diego Associate's degree — not published 9
San Diego Mesa College San Diego Associate's degree — not published 26
San Diego Miramar College San Diego Associate's degree — not published 29
San Joaquin Delta College Stockton Associate's degree — not published 20
San Jose City College San Jose Associate's degree — not published 16
Santa Ana College Santa Ana Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Santa Ana College Santa Ana Associate's degree — not published 30
Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara Associate's degree — not published 10
Santa Monica College Santa Monica Associate's degree — not published 69
Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa Associate's degree — not published 42
Santiago Canyon College Orange Associate's degree — not published 20
Shasta College Redding Associate's degree — not published 10
Sierra College Rocklin Associate's degree — not published 31
Skyline College San Bruno Associate's degree — not published 17
Solano Community College Fairfield Associate's degree — not published 15
Southwestern College Chula Vista Associate's degree — not published 24
Taft College Taft Associate's degree — not published 3
Ventura College Ventura Undergraduate certificate — not published 8
Ventura College Ventura Associate's degree — not published 41
Victor Valley College Victorville Associate's degree — not published —
West Los Angeles College Culver City Associate's degree — not published 6
West Valley College Saratoga Associate's degree — not published 12
Yuba College Marysville Associate's degree — not published 10

A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.

Email me when these figures change

The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Fine and Studio Arts — nothing else, and nothing in between.

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Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.