Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Studio Art: earnings, debt & careers

Studio Art graduates of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale earn a median $44,902 four years after graduating ($33,285 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $26,500. That is $3,312 above the U.S. median for Studio Art graduates ($41,590 across 420 colleges), and ranks 3rd of 12 Illinois colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$44,902

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

College Scorecard field of study; 53 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$33,285

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$26,500

About 59% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,361.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$13,297 /yr

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

Sticker price $28,329. College Scorecard.

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Studio Art: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale graduates$44,902
Illinois median (12 colleges)$42,050 (+$2,852)
U.S. median (420 colleges)$41,590 (+$3,312)

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 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale'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$9,415$40,6734.5 years
$30–48k$8,497$36,7074.0 years
$48–75k$10,308$44,5314.9 years
$75–110k$17,724$76,5688.4 years
$110k+$23,254$100,45711.0 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (40% 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 ($44,902) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $9,105 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

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 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, by income

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

College Scorecard

About Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Related majors at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Studio Art questions

How much do Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Studio Art graduates earn?

Studio Art graduates of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale earn a median $44,902 four years after graduating and $33,285 one year after. The U.S. median for Studio Art graduates across 420 colleges is $41,590.

How much debt do Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Studio Art graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Studio Art graduates of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale is $26,500, about 59% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,361.

Is Southern Illinois University-Carbondale a good school for Studio Art in Illinois?

On pay, Studio Art graduates of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale earn $44,902 four years out, $2,852 above the median for the same major across 12 Illinois colleges ($42,050) and $3,312 above the U.S. median ($41,590). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Southern Illinois University-Carbondale rank for Studio Art in Illinois?

Of 12 Illinois colleges reporting Studio Art graduate earnings, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale ranks 3rd. The highest is Illinois State University at $51,386.

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 $79,990 in Illinois 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: “Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Studio Art: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/majors/studio-art (College Scorecard and BLS data).