California State University-San Marcos Visual and Performing Arts: earnings, debt & careers

Visual and Performing Arts graduates of California State University-San Marcos earn a median $48,043 four years after graduating ($27,741 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $18,750. That is $6,887 above the U.S. median for Visual and Performing Arts graduates ($41,156 across 62 colleges), and ranks 1st of 3 California colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$48,043

U.S. median for this major: $41,156.

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$27,741

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$18,750

About 39% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,773.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$10,229 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $21,649. College Scorecard.

Visual and Performing Arts at California colleges

Every California college we cover that reports Visual and Performing Arts graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1California State University-San Marcos$48,043$18,750$10,22955%
2Otis College of Art and Design$47,220$27,000$51,24866%
3University of California-San Diego$45,915$15,000$12,47086%

11 more California colleges offer Visual and Performing Arts but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Visual and Performing Arts graduates

Graphic Designers

California$75,130
U.S.$62,960

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -1.7% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Art Directors

San Diego area$126,050
California$137,780
U.S.$114,850

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +4.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at California State University-San Marcos, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About California State University-San Marcos

California State University-San Marcos Visual and Performing Arts questions

How much do California State University-San Marcos Visual and Performing Arts graduates earn?

Visual and Performing Arts graduates of California State University-San Marcos earn a median $48,043 four years after graduating and $27,741 one year after. The U.S. median for Visual and Performing Arts graduates across 62 colleges is $41,156.

How much debt do California State University-San Marcos Visual and Performing Arts graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Visual and Performing Arts graduates of California State University-San Marcos is $18,750, about 39% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,773.

Where does California State University-San Marcos rank for Visual and Performing Arts in California?

Of 3 California colleges reporting Visual and Performing Arts graduate earnings, California State University-San Marcos ranks 1st, the highest.

What jobs do Visual and Performing Arts graduates get?

A common career is graphic designers, with a median wage of $75,130 in California and $62,960 nationally. Others include art directors.

Is California State University-San Marcos the right fit for your family?

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “California State University-San Marcos Visual and Performing Arts: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/california-state-university-san-marcos/majors/visual-and-performing-arts (College Scorecard and BLS data).