Best Art programs in Massachusetts, ranked by enrollment
Teach courses in drama, music, and the arts including fine and applied art, such as painting and sculpture, or design and crafts.
63 schools in Massachusetts run programs that feed this job, graduating 5,415 people a year. The job pays a median of $85,820 in Massachusetts across about 4,960 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Massachusetts that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
56 programs in Massachusetts that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Massachusetts (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Massachusetts page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 50.0602In Massachusetts → | 590 | 10.9% | 5 | $25,014 | $24,650 |
| 2 | CIP 50.0903In Massachusetts → | 551 | 10.2% | 9 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 3 | CIP 50.0409In Massachusetts → | 366 | 6.8% | 22 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 4 | CIP 50.0701In Massachusetts → | 313 | 5.8% | 18 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 5 | CIP 50.0999In Massachusetts → | 299 | 5.5% | 1 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 6 | CIP 50.1003In Massachusetts → | 272 | 5.0% | 2 | $28,050 | $25,468 |
| 7 | CIP 50.0904In Massachusetts → | 268 | 4.9% | 5 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 8 | CIP 50.0702In Massachusetts → | 250 | 4.6% | 23 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 9 | CIP 50.0501In Massachusetts → | 211 | 3.9% | 31 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 10 | CIP 13.1312In Massachusetts → | 176 | 3.3% | 6 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 11 | CIP 50.0703In Massachusetts → | 173 | 3.2% | 19 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 12 | CIP 50.0410In Massachusetts → | 133 | 2.5% | 5 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 13 | CIP 50.0301In Massachusetts → | 128 | 2.4% | 9 | $21,877 | $25,000 |
| 14 | CIP 50.0601In Massachusetts → | 122 | 2.3% | 12 | $25,014 | $24,650 |
| 15 | CIP 50.0102In Massachusetts → | 96 | 1.8% | 6 | $24,752 | $25,963 |
| 16 | CIP 50.0911In Massachusetts → | 94 | 1.7% | 2 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 17 | CIP 50.0509In Massachusetts → | 86 | 1.6% | 3 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 18 | CIP 13.1302In Massachusetts → | 85 | 1.6% | 9 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 19 | CIP 50.0907In Massachusetts → | 83 | 1.5% | 4 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 20 | CIP 50.0101In Massachusetts → | 71 | 1.3% | 8 | $24,752 | $25,963 |
| 21 | CIP 50.0908In Massachusetts → | 69 | 1.3% | 3 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 22 | CIP 50.0401In Massachusetts → | 68 | 1.3% | 5 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 23 | CIP 50.0699In Massachusetts → | 66 | 1.2% | 5 | $25,014 | $24,650 |
| 24 | CIP 50.0407In Massachusetts → | 65 | 1.2% | 4 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 25 | CIP 50.0506In Massachusetts → | 51 | 0.9% | 4 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 26 | CIP 13.1324In Massachusetts → | 50 | 0.9% | 2 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 27 | CIP 50.0708In Massachusetts → | 46 | 0.8% | 5 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 28 | CIP 50.0404In Massachusetts → | 45 | 0.8% | 2 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 29 | CIP 50.1002In Massachusetts → | 45 | 0.8% | 4 | $28,050 | $25,468 |
| 30 | CIP 50.0799In Massachusetts → | 42 | 0.8% | 4 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 31 | Visual and Performing Arts, Othermain feeder CIP 50.9999In Massachusetts → | 40 | 0.7% | 5 | $24,229 | $25,000 |
| 32 | CIP 50.0502In Massachusetts → | 40 | 0.7% | 4 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 33 | CIP 50.0605In Massachusetts → | 37 | 0.7% | 7 | $25,014 | $24,650 |
| 34 | CIP 50.0915In Massachusetts → | 35 | 0.6% | 2 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 35 | CIP 50.0910In Massachusetts → | 34 | 0.6% | 1 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 36 | CIP 50.0912In Massachusetts → | 31 | 0.6% | 3 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 37 | CIP 50.0706In Massachusetts → | 29 | 0.5% | 2 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 38 | CIP 50.0504In Massachusetts → | 27 | 0.5% | 2 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 39 | CIP 50.0507In Massachusetts → | 24 | 0.4% | 3 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 40 | CIP 50.0599In Massachusetts → | 23 | 0.4% | 3 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 41 | CIP 50.0709In Massachusetts → | 21 | 0.4% | 4 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 42 | CIP 50.0914In Massachusetts → | 20 | 0.4% | 2 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 43 | CIP 50.1099In Massachusetts → | 18 | 0.3% | 2 | $28,050 | $25,468 |
| 44 | CIP 50.0711In Massachusetts → | 17 | 0.3% | 2 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 45 | CIP 50.0710In Massachusetts → | 15 | 0.3% | 3 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 46 | CIP 50.0905In Massachusetts → | 14 | 0.3% | 2 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 47 | CIP 50.0917In Massachusetts → | 13 | 0.2% | 2 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 48 | CIP 50.0906In Massachusetts → | 12 | 0.2% | 4 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 49 | CIP 50.0712In Massachusetts → | 11 | 0.2% | 2 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 50 | CIP 50.0913In Massachusetts → | 10 | 0.2% | 2 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 51 | CIP 50.0406In Massachusetts → | 8 | 0.1% | 2 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 52 | CIP 50.0916In Massachusetts → | 8 | 0.1% | 1 | $25,929 | $25,980 |
| 53 | CIP 50.0713In Massachusetts → | 5 | 0.1% | 1 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 54 | CIP 50.1001In Massachusetts → | 4 | 0.1% | 2 | $28,050 | $25,468 |
| 55 | CIP 50.0201In Massachusetts → | 3 | 0.1% | 2 | $25,027 | $27,000 |
| 56 | CIP 50.0705In Massachusetts → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
Top 25 schools in Massachusetts
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 22 of the 63 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berklee College of Music Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 10 feeder programs | 1,342 | Music Performance, General | $18,177 | 67% | $46,197 | 44% |
| 2 | Emerson College Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 10 feeder programs | 663 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | $27,032 | 77% | $40,982 | 51% |
| 3 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 25 feeder programs | 505 | Music Performance, General | $23,934 | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 4 | Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, MA Public · 18 feeder programs | 377 | Illustration | $24,706 | 69% | — | 76% |
| 5 | The New England Conservatory of Music Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 10 feeder programs | 286 | Stringed Instruments | — | 73% | $38,781 | 41% |
| 6 | Tufts University Medford, MA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 184 | Art/Art Studies, General | $17,154 | 94% | $23,570 | 11% |
| 7 | Longy School of Music of Bard College Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs | 170 | Music Teacher Education | — | 78% | $43,291 | — |
| 8 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 12 feeder programs | 165 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | $18,072 | 83% | — | 60% |
| 9 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 128 | Digital Arts | — | 98% | $15,013 | 4% |
| 10 | Northeastern University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 111 | Graphic Design | $49,727 | 91% | $18,925 | 5% |
| 11 | Lesley University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 107 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 58% | $30,837 | 97% |
| 12 | University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA Public · 7 feeder programs | 94 | Graphic Design | $41,020 | 65% | — | 83% |
| 13 | University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA Public · 13 feeder programs | 89 | Graphic Design | $29,660 | 52% | — | 91% |
| 14 | Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA Public · 8 feeder programs | 68 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | $29,595 | 53% | — | 88% |
| 15 | Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, MA Public · 5 feeder programs | 65 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | — | 55% | — | 87% |
| 16 | Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 59 | Visual and Performing Arts, Other | — | 84% | $26,083 | 36% |
| 17 | Williams College Williamstown, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 55 | Art/Art Studies, General | $34,560 | 94% | $10,747 | 8% |
| 18 | Smith College Northampton, MA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 51 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | $20,171 | 89% | $17,183 | 21% |
| 19 | Dean College Franklin, MA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 49 | Dance, General | $24,236 | 54% | $28,874 | 74% |
| 20 | Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Norton, MA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 48 | Design and Visual Communications, General | — | 73% | $26,445 | 68% |
| 21 | Brandeis University Waltham, MA Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 44 | Film/Cinema/Media Studies | — | 86% | $25,074 | 40% |
| 22 | Hampshire College Amherst, MA Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 44 | Art/Art Studies, General | — | 54% | $22,968 | 75% |
| 23 | Montserrat College of Art Beverly, MA Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs | 44 | Illustration | $19,865 | 53% | $34,176 | — |
| 24 | Suffolk University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 40 | Graphic Design | $47,415 | 61% | $28,895 | 82% |
| 25 | Bunker Hill Community College Boston, MA Public · 3 feeder programs | 39 | Design and Visual Communications, General | — | 13% | — | — |
All 63 schools in Massachusetts
Every school in Massachusetts with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berklee College of Music | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 1,342 | 10 |
| Emerson College | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 663 | 10 |
| Boston University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 505 | 25 |
| Massachusetts College of Art and Design | Boston | Public | 377 | 18 |
| The New England Conservatory of Music | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 286 | 10 |
| Tufts University | Medford | Private not-for-profit | 184 | 4 |
| Longy School of Music of Bard College | Cambridge | Private not-for-profit | 170 | 8 |
| University of Massachusetts - Amherst | Amherst | Public | 165 | 12 |
| Harvard University | Cambridge | Private not-for-profit | 128 | 6 |
| Northeastern University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | 111 | 6 |
| Lesley University | Cambridge | Private not-for-profit | 107 | 7 |
| University of Massachusetts - Lowell | Lowell | Public | 94 | 7 |
| University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth | North Dartmouth | Public | 89 | 13 |
| Bridgewater State University | Bridgewater | Public | 68 | 8 |
| Fitchburg State University | Fitchburg | Public | 65 | 5 |
What art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary earn in Massachusetts
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $78,620. Massachusetts pays above the national figure.
Concentrated here: Massachusetts employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Massachusetts
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary page.
How to become a Art
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Massachusetts
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary25 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 13.1302Art Teacher Education
- 13.1312Music Teacher Education
- 13.1324Drama and Dance Teacher Education
- 50.0101Visual and Performing Arts, General
- 50.0102Digital Arts
- 50.0201Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry
- 50.0301Dance, General
- 50.0302Ballet
- 50.0399Dance, Other
- 50.0401Design and Visual Communications, General
- 50.0404Industrial and Product Design
- 50.0406Commercial Photography
- 50.0407Fashion/Apparel Design
- 50.0409Graphic Design
- 50.0410Illustration
- 50.0501Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
- 50.0502Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology
- 50.0504Playwriting and Screenwriting
- 50.0505Theatre Literature, History and Criticism
- 50.0506Acting
- 50.0507Directing and Theatrical Production
- 50.0509Musical Theatre
- 50.0510Costume Design
- 50.0511Comedy Writing and Performance
- 50.0512Theatre and Dance
Common questions
Answers for people weighing art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary programs in Massachusetts.
What degree do you need to become an Art?+
Master's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Cinematography and Film/Video Production, which awarded 590 degrees in Massachusetts in 2024-25, 10.9% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Art?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 56 programs to this occupation. The largest are Music, Fine and Studio Arts, Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Design and Applied Arts, plus 7 more. Together they graduate about 5,415 people a year in Massachusetts.
How much do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary earn in Massachusetts?+
The median is $85,820 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 9.2% above the U.S. median of $78,620. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary growing?+
BLS projects a +1.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 9,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Massachusetts?+
63 institutions in Massachusetts reported graduates from at least one of the 56 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Art Professor, Music Professor, Theater Professor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1121.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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