CollegeCostWise

Bachelor's · Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Is Fine and Studio Arts at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill worth it?

Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 8.8 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating
$35,202
Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating
$44,814
Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation
$15,325
NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families
$48k (likely $48k – $48k)
AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4
$8k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in NC
2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback
8.8 years (likely 5.7–18.4)
Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return
−$133k (likely −$193k – −$68k)
Today's dollars
20-year net return
−$14k (likely −$143k – $142k)
Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide)
91%
Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26

Change income, residency or loans Compare Fine and Studio Arts at other schools

🎨 Getting ready in high school

Students heading toward art, design & performance majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.

AP classes

  • AP 2-D Art and Design
  • AP Drawing
  • AP Art History
  • AP Music Theory

IB Higher Level

  • Visual Arts HL
  • Music HL or Theatre HL or Film HL

Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.

Other majors at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Fine and Studio Arts at other schools in North Carolina