Visual and Performing Arts, General graduates from Columbus College of Art & Design earn $35,887 median salary, below the national average for this program. Median debt: $63,396.
Visual and Performing Arts, General at Columbus College of Art & Design
Columbus, Ohio • Master's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Visual and Performing Arts, General at Columbus College of Art & Design
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Columbus College of Art & Design and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Visual and Performing Arts, General at the master's credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program – not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 12 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at Columbus College of Art & Design, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $35,887 represent Treasury-derived wages, deferred compensation, and positive self-employment earnings four years after program completion for federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. Compared to the national mean of $71,603 across all institutions offering Visual and Performing Arts, General, graduates here earn below the national average for this program. Across all programs at Columbus College of Art & Design, the mean median-earnings figure is $38,640, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. The median cumulative federal loan debt for Visual and Performing Arts, General graduates at Columbus College of Art & Design is $63,396, which translates to roughly $528 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The descriptive debt-to-earnings ratio is 1.77: cumulative debt exceeds reported annual earnings. This is a PlainCollege comparison, not a federal gainful-employment verdict. Program-level debt and four-year post-completion earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard field-of-study snapshot retrieved in March 2026.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Visual and Performing Arts, General at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard University | $113,887 | - |
| University of Central Florida | $84,762 | $54,516 |
| Academy of Art University | $51,874 | - |
| Columbus College of Art & Design (this school) | $35,887 | $63,396 |
| California State University-Los Angeles | - | $59,716 |
| University of California-San Diego | - | - |
| University of Southern California | - | - |
| Minneapolis College of Art and Design | - | - |
| The University of Montana | - | - |
| Regent University | - | - |
Other Programs at Columbus College of Art & Design
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $48,204 | $27,000 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $43,661 | $27,000 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General (current) | $35,887 | $63,396 |
| Graphic Communications | $33,389 | $27,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $32,061 | $27,000 |
Other Schools with Visual and Performing Arts, General
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About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
PlainCollege's Scorecard snapshots, retrieved March–July 2026, contain 6,243 postsecondary institutions and 70,827 school-and-program earnings records.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.