Illinois State University Studio Art: earnings, debt & careers

Studio Art graduates of Illinois State University earn a median $51,386 four years after graduating ($35,967 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $20,125. That is $9,796 above the U.S. median for Studio Art graduates ($41,590 across 420 colleges), and ranks 1st of 12 Illinois colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$51,386

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

College Scorecard field of study; 96 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$35,967

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$20,125

About 39% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,361.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$19,398 /yr

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

Sticker price $34,309. College Scorecard.

Illinois State University Studio Art: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Illinois State University graduates$51,386
Illinois median (12 colleges)$42,050 (+$9,336)
U.S. median (420 colleges)$41,590 (+$9,796)

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 Illinois State University'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$11,568$49,2803.2 years
$30–48k$12,301$52,4023.4 years
$48–75k$16,348$69,6424.5 years
$75–110k$23,865$101,6656.5 years
$110k+$28,224$120,2347.7 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (51% 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 ($51,386) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $15,589 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 Illinois colleges

Every Illinois 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
1Illinois State University$51,386$20,125$19,39865%
2School of the Art Institute of Chicago$45,602$27,000$49,79067%
3Southern Illinois University-Carbondale$44,902$26,500$13,29762%
4Northeastern Illinois University$44,312$20,319$14,10922%
5Northern Illinois University$44,202$25,781$13,39149%
6Columbia College Chicago$42,176$26,000$26,59852%
7University of Illinois Chicago$41,924$26,000$10,97462%
8Eastern Illinois University$39,923$25,000$12,78647%
9Wheaton College$38,363$23,281$26,97585%
10DePaul University$37,085$26,999$30,90268%
11Southern Illinois University Edwardsville$36,717$27,280$14,88957%
12Western Illinois University$35,703$27,000$12,93745%

33 more Illinois 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

Bloomington area$66,280
Illinois$79,990
U.S.$72,040

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

Art Directors

Illinois$103,550
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

Illinois$56,720
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 Illinois State University, by income

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

College Scorecard

About Illinois State University

Related majors at Illinois State University

Illinois State University Studio Art questions

How much do Illinois State University Studio Art graduates earn?

Studio Art graduates of Illinois State University earn a median $51,386 four years after graduating and $35,967 one year after. The U.S. median for Studio Art graduates across 420 colleges is $41,590.

How much debt do Illinois State University Studio Art graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Studio Art graduates of Illinois State University is $20,125, about 39% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,361.

Is Illinois State University a good school for Studio Art in Illinois?

On pay, Studio Art graduates of Illinois State University earn $51,386 four years out, $9,336 above the median for the same major across 12 Illinois colleges ($42,050) and $9,796 above the U.S. median ($41,590). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Illinois State University rank for Studio Art in Illinois?

Of 12 Illinois colleges reporting Studio Art graduate earnings, Illinois State University ranks 1st, the highest.

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 $66,280 in the Bloomington, IL area 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
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Cite this: “Illinois State University Studio Art: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/illinois-state-university/majors/studio-art (College Scorecard and BLS data).