How much debt do University of Minnesota fine and studio arts graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $23,956, which ranks the lowest of 7 fine and studio arts bachelor's programs in Minnesota. That works out to about $254 a month over 10 years.

Is a fine and studio arts degree from University of Minnesota worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 119% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 97%. Compare the cost with other Minnesota programs before deciding.

University of Minnesota Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do University of Minnesota fine and studio arts graduates stay in Minnesota?

Most do. 81% (77 of 95) were working in Minnesota one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Fine and Studio Arts
Public university
Minneapolis, MN
About 58 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

University of Minnesota fine and studio arts graduates earn less than graduates of most fine and studio arts programs nationally, $20,192 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $23,956 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,402. Several Minnesota programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$20,19218th percentile of 384 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$42,480110% more than year one

Median federal debt$23,956The lowest of 7 Minnesota programs

Debt-to-earnings119%Minnesota median 93%, national 97%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Minnesota and national columns are the medians across all fine and studio arts bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	University of Minnesota	Minnesota	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$20,192	$28,428	$24,548
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$42,480	$41,220	$40,835
Median federal debt at graduation	$23,956	$27,000	$25,402
Debt as share of first-year pay	119%	93%	97%
Programs compared		8	384

Five years out, University of Minnesota graduates earn more than the national figure and about $1,261 more than the Minnesota median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Minnesota fine and studio arts program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Minnesota medians.

University of MinnesotaOther Minnesota programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 110% between the first and fifth year.

University of Minnesota grads, year 1$20,192

University of Minnesota grads, year 5$42,480

All Minnesota fine and studio arts grads, year 5$41,220

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Does family income change the outcome?

Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned about the same in their first year as other graduates, but borrowed more: a median of $27,000 against $22,250.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$20,235Median debt $27,000

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$20,410Median debt $22,250

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $254 a month, or 15.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (108 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	10–19%
Paying down the balance	20–29%
Paused payments (forbearance)	10–19%
In default	10% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual. Separately, 42 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $23,882.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

81% of graduates (77 of 95) were working in Minnesota one year after graduating. Prices in the Minneapolis area are about 5% above the national average, so a $20,192 salary here buys what about $19,263 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to fine and studio arts, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$76,460

Median pay in Minnesota. 16,020 people work in this job in Minnesota. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $49,160Top 10%: $121,220

Property Appraisers and Assessors

$83,400

Median pay in Minnesota. 1,380 people work in this job in Minnesota. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 5,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $53,970Top 10%: $158,750

Art Directors

$109,700

Median pay in Minnesota. 920 people work in this job in Minnesota. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $70,810Top 10%: $177,680

Photographers

$46,470

Median pay in Minnesota. 730 people work in this job in Minnesota. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,700 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent.

Bottom 10%: $36,890Top 10%: $84,530

About University of Minnesota

In-state tuition and fees	$17,214 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$38,362 / year
Average net price after aid	$16,778 / year
Admission rate	80%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	85%
Undergraduate students	31,855

Fine and Studio Arts ranks 87th of 88 bachelor's programs at University of Minnesota by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Engineering ($85,672), Computer Science ($82,861), and Electrical Engineering ($79,808).

Other fine and studio arts bachelor's programs near Minneapolis

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN · public		$20,192	$23,956
Minneapolis College of Art and DesignMinneapolis, MN · private nonprofit	2 mi	$14,829	$30,250
UW-River FallsRiver Falls, WI · public	31 mi	$28,801	$30,084
St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN · private nonprofit	35 mi	$26,870	$25,000
Saint Cloud StateSaint Cloud, MN · public	60 mi	$30,051	$31,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $20,192 one year after graduating and $42,480 five years after. The median across fine and studio arts bachelor's programs in Minnesota is $28,428.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Minnesota comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the fine and studio arts program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Fine and Studio Arts bachelor's programs in Minnesota, ranked8 programs by pay and debt Fine and Studio Arts bachelor's programs in the US, ranked384 programs by pay and debt All University of Minnesota programs, ranked91 programs by pay and debt