Central Washington University Studio Art: earnings, debt & careers

Studio Art graduates of Central Washington University earn a median $40,251 four years after graduating ($26,123 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $25,000. That is $1,339 below the U.S. median for Studio Art graduates ($41,590 across 420 colleges), and ranks 5th of 7 Washington colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$40,251

U.S. median for this major: $41,590.

College Scorecard field of study; 47 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$26,123

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$25,000

About 62% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,361.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$18,476 /yr

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

Sticker price $28,816. College Scorecard.

CWU Studio Art: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

CWU graduates$40,251
Washington median (7 colleges)$43,032 (−$2,781)
U.S. median (420 colleges)$41,590 (−$1,339)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Studio Art nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses CWU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$11,846$52,478more than 20 years
$30–48k$13,942$61,763more than 20 years
$48–75k$16,022$70,977more than 20 years
$75–110k$21,682$96,051more than 20 years
$110k+$26,719$118,365more than 20 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (32% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Studio Art graduates 4 years after graduating ($40,251) minus $40,219 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $32 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Studio Art at Washington colleges

Every Washington college we cover that reports Studio Art graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of Washington-Seattle Campus$53,805$13,667$14,09185%
2University of Washington-Bothell Campus$53,805$13,667$12,31965%
3Pacific Lutheran University$43,650$25,000$19,58969%
4University of Puget Sound$43,032$26,345$38,39468%
5Central Washington University$40,251$25,000$18,47654%
6Western Washington University$35,161$21,246$21,19365%
7Seattle Pacific University$32,456—$24,48862%

8 more Washington colleges offer Studio Art but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Studio Art graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Washington$102,670
U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Art Directors

Washington$121,170
U.S.$114,850

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

Museum Technicians and Conservators

Washington$59,610
U.S.$51,440

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.6% 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 CWU, by income

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

College Scorecard

About CWU

Related majors at CWU

CWU Studio Art questions

How much do CWU Studio Art graduates earn?

Studio Art graduates of Central Washington University earn a median $40,251 four years after graduating and $26,123 one year after. The U.S. median for Studio Art graduates across 420 colleges is $41,590.

How much debt do CWU Studio Art graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Studio Art graduates of Central Washington University is $25,000, about 62% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,361.

Is CWU a good school for Studio Art in Washington?

On pay, Studio Art graduates of Central Washington University earn $40,251 four years out, $2,781 below the median for the same major across 7 Washington colleges ($43,032) and $1,339 below the U.S. median ($41,590). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does CWU rank for Studio Art in Washington?

Of 7 Washington colleges reporting Studio Art graduate earnings, Central Washington University ranks 5th. The highest is University of Washington-Seattle Campus at $53,805.

What jobs do Studio Art graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $102,670 in Washington and $72,040 nationally. Others include art directors and museum technicians and conservators.

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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
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Central Washington University Studio Art: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/central-washington-university/majors/studio-art (College Scorecard and BLS data).