Mississippi · Fine and Studio Arts

Best colleges for Fine and Studio Arts in Mississippi

Ranked by graduate earnings

University of Southern Mississippi, University of Mississippi and Itawamba Community College award the most Fine and Studio Arts degrees and certificates in Mississippi: 46, 36 and 21 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 11 Mississippi colleges offer Fine and Studio Arts and award 159 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Fine and Studio Arts program focuses on the practice and theory of visual arts and design, encompassing various disciplines such as illustration, painting, sculpture, and graphic design. This program is ideal for students who are…

Institutions
11
offering CIP 50.07
States & territories
54
with a program page
Degrees / yr
159
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$18,337
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
1
College Scorecard
Median net price
$21,096
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
51%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
—
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top institution, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1University of Mississippi
University Public · Bachelor's degree
$18,3373672%—$26,225

Colleges awarding the most Fine and Studio Arts degrees in Mississippi

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg Public
46Not reported
2University of Mississippi
University Public
36$18,337
3Itawamba Community College
Fulton Public
21Not reported
4Holmes Community College
Goodman Public
12Not reported
5Mississippi Christian University
Clinton Private not-for-profit
10Not reported
6Northwest Mississippi Community College
Senatobia Public
10Not reported
7William Carey University
Hattiesburg Private not-for-profit
9Not reported
8Belhaven University
Jackson Private not-for-profit
6Not reported
9Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Wesson Public
6Not reported
10Coahoma Community College
Clarksdale Public
2Not reported
Show the other 1 Mississippi colleges offering Fine and Studio Arts
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Delta State UniversityClevelandPublic1

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators (SOC 27-1013).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
-1.2%
Decline
Openings / yr (US)
~2,200
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$60,560
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Critical ThinkingActive LearningActive ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionWriting

What Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators earn in Mississippi

Jobs in Mississippi
—
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
—
annual
Best-paying metro
—

Related careers

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
$61,940 avg · 540 jobs
Photographers
$45,970 avg · 190 jobs
Art Directors
$79,440 avg · 90 jobs
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
$52,280 avg · 40 jobs
Curators
$45,190 avg · 30 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Fine and Studio Arts programs in Mississippi.

Which Mississippi colleges award the most Fine and Studio Arts degrees?+

University of Southern Mississippi (46 graduates a year), University of Mississippi (36 graduates a year) and Itawamba Community College (21 graduates a year) award the most Fine and Studio Arts degrees and certificates in Mississippi, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 11 Mississippi colleges offer Fine and Studio Arts.

Which Fine and Studio Arts program in Mississippi has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, University of Mississippi tops the list at $18,337. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

What is the focus of the Fine and Studio Arts program?+

The Fine and Studio Arts program focuses on the practice and theory of visual arts and design, encompassing various disciplines such as illustration, painting, sculpture, and graphic design. This program is ideal for students who are…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop critical thinking, active learning, active listening, speaking, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators?+

The national job outlook is about -1.2% growth with around 2,200 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation

Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card