Western Washington University Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Bachelor's in Fine and Studio Arts
- Public university
- Bellingham, WA
- About 67 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
Western Washington University fine and studio arts graduates earn about what fine and studio arts graduates earn nationally, $23,102 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $21,246 in federal loans, less than at 77% of fine and studio arts programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying fine and studio arts degrees in Washington.
How it compares
Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Washington and national columns are the medians across all fine and studio arts bachelor's programs that report the figure.
Five years out, Western Washington University graduates earn about the national figure and about $2,487 more than the Washington median.
Debt and first-year pay at every Washington fine and studio arts program
Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Washington medians.
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 81% between the first and fifth year.
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 slightly more in their first year than other graduates. They also borrowed less. At this program, the outcome does not look worse for students with less money.
Paying back the loans
On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $225 a month, or 11.7% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
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, 22 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $21,985.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
90% of graduates (60 of 67) were working in Washington one year after graduating. Prices in the Bellingham area are about 3% above the national average, so a $23,102 salary here buys what about $22,357 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
$102,670Median pay in Washington. 14,880 people work in this job in Washington. 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.
Property Appraisers and Assessors
$83,710Median pay in Washington. 1,150 people work in this job in Washington. 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.
Art Directors
$121,170Median pay in Washington. 650 people work in this job in Washington. 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.
Photographers
$48,050Median pay in Washington. 960 people work in this job in Washington. 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.
About Western Washington University
Fine and Studio Arts ranks 49th of 52 bachelor's programs at Western Washington University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($80,808), Electrical Engineering ($77,516), and Information Technology ($72,675).
Common questions
The median graduate earns $23,102 one year after graduating and $41,889 five years after. The median across fine and studio arts bachelor's programs in Washington is $26,035.
The median federal loan balance is $21,246, which ranks 2nd lowest of 5 fine and studio arts bachelor's programs in Washington. That works out to about $225 a month over 10 years.
On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 92% 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. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Washington programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.
Most do. 90% (60 of 67) were working in Washington one year after graduating.
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 Washington 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