How much money do California College of the Arts graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $34,600 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $43,500 on average.
In terms of specific areas of study, the following is a ranking of degree programs by the median first-year starting salaries for California College of the Arts graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Architecture with a median starting salary of $51,400 followed by Design and Applied Arts paying $38,100 and Graphic Communications graduates who have a median starting income of $27,800 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Master's Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $74,800 followed by Architecture (Master's Degree) at $54,200 and Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degree) who earn $31,700 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for California College of the Arts graduates who received federal financial aid in the form of grants or loans. Not all graduates or fields of study are represented as data for some degree programs are omitted for privacy purposes.
| Major | Earnings |
|---|---|
| Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Master's Degree) | $74,800 |
| Architecture (Master's Degree) | $54,200 |
| Architecture (Bachelor’s Degree) | $51,400 |
| Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $38,100 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degree) | $31,700 |
| Graphic Communications (Bachelor’s Degree) | $27,800 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $16,800 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=110370 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for California College of the Arts.