How much debt do USC fine and studio arts graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $21,125, which ranks 24th lowest of 29 fine and studio arts bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $224 a month over 10 years.

Is a fine and studio arts degree from USC worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 42% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 97%, and the share of borrowers in default two years into repayment is 20% or less.

USC Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do USC fine and studio arts graduates stay in California?

Most do. 74% (28 of 38) were working in California one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Fine and Studio Arts
Private nonprofit university
Los Angeles, CA
About 55 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

USC fine and studio arts graduates earn more than graduates of most fine and studio arts programs nationally, $50,161 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $21,125 in federal loans, less than at 77% of fine and studio arts programs in the country. It is one of the higher-paying fine and studio arts degrees in California.

First-year earnings$50,16199th percentile of 384 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$61,39122% more than year one

Median federal debt$21,12524th lowest of 29 California programs

Debt-to-earnings42%California median 74%, national 97%

How it compares

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

	USC	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$50,161	$22,129	$24,548
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$61,391	$44,754	$40,835
Median federal debt at graduation	$21,125	$17,500	$25,402
Debt as share of first-year pay	42%	74%	97%
Programs compared		29	384

Five years out, USC graduates earn more than the national figure and about $16,637 more than the California median.

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

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

USCOther California 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 22% between the first and fifth year.

USC grads, year 1$50,161

USC grads, year 5$61,391

All California fine and studio arts grads, year 5$44,754

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

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $224 a month, or 5.4% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (78 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	40–59%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20% or less
In default	20% 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, 21 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $69,138.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

74% of graduates (28 of 38) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the Los Angeles area are about 14% above the national average, so a $50,161 salary here buys what about $44,169 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

$101,370

Median pay in California. 99,230 people work in this job in California. 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%: $64,600Top 10%: $132,600

Property Appraisers and Assessors

$88,900

Median pay in California. 6,380 people work in this job in California. 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%: $56,750Top 10%: $141,610

Art Directors

$137,780

Median pay in California. 12,430 people work in this job in California. 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%: $81,500Top 10%: $249,210

Photographers

$47,840

Median pay in California. 7,980 people work in this job in California. 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%: $36,470Top 10%: $125,490

About USC

Tuition and fees	$72,097 / year
Average net price after aid	$32,740 / year
Admission rate	10%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	92%
Undergraduate students	20,443

Fine and Studio Arts ranks 20th of 43 bachelor's programs at USC by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Science ($137,284), Software and Media Applications ($103,071), and Real Estate ($98,763).

Other fine and studio arts bachelor's programs near Los Angeles

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
USCLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit		$50,161	$21,125
Cal State LALos Angeles, CA · public	7 mi	$24,538	$19,087
Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	8 mi	$27,210	$23,600
Otis College of Art and DesignLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	9 mi	$11,590	$30,875
UCLALos Angeles, CA · public	10 mi	$21,220	$14,000
Biola UniversityLa Mirada, CA · private nonprofit	17 mi	$25,372	$27,000
Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	19 mi	$21,493	$16,583
CSUNNorthridge, CA · public	21 mi	$25,359	$15,000
Cal State FullertonFullerton, CA · public	25 mi	$22,839	$16,448

Common questions

The median graduate earns $50,161 one year after graduating and $61,391 five years after. The median across fine and studio arts bachelor's programs in California is $22,129.

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 California 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 California, ranked29 programs by pay and debt Fine and Studio Arts bachelor's programs in the US, ranked384 programs by pay and debt All USC programs, ranked43 programs by pay and debt