New Jersey · Fine and Studio Arts

Best colleges for Fine and Studio Arts in New Jersey

Ranked by graduate earnings

The College of New Jersey, Rowan University and Kean University are the top bachelor's Fine and Studio Arts programs in New Jersey by graduate earnings. The College of New Jersey leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $33,214, College Scorecard. Rutgers University - New Brunswick, The College of New Jersey and Montclair State University award the most Fine and Studio Arts degrees in New Jersey: 97, 73 and 65 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 33 New Jersey colleges offer Fine and Studio Arts and award 845 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
33
offering CIP 50.07
States & territories
54
with a program page
Degrees / yr
845
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$25,099
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
13
College Scorecard
Median net price
$21,902
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
51%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
—
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 9 bachelor's programs, 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
1The College of New Jersey
Ewing Public · Bachelor's degree
$33,2147386%—$25,000
2Rowan University
Glassboro Public · Bachelor's degree
$26,1195567%—$21,708
3Kean University
Union Public · Bachelor's degree
$25,9282547%—$28,750
4Stockton University
Galloway Public · Bachelor's degree
$25,0993769%—$27,000
5William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne Public · Bachelor's degree
$23,8924244%—$27,000
6Montclair State University
Montclair Public · Bachelor's degree
$21,9346565%—$27,000
7Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick Public · Bachelor's degree
$21,9089784%—$25,975
8New Jersey City University
Jersey City Public · Bachelor's degree
$19,3265434%—$19,000
9Monmouth University
West Long Branch Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree Small program
$29,353472%$28,514$27,000

Top 2 certificate and associate programs

Shorter credentials, ranked separately so they are not compared with four-year degrees. Ranked by median earnings one year after completion (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.

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
1County College of Morris
Randolph Public · Associate degree
$33,8815736%—$9,250
2Hudson County Community College
Jersey City Public · Associate degree
$22,6194226%—$6,899

Colleges awarding the most Fine and Studio Arts degrees in New Jersey

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, 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)
1Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick Public
97$21,908
2The College of New Jersey
Ewing Public
73$33,214
3Montclair State University
Montclair Public
65$21,934
4Rowan University
Glassboro Public
55$26,119
5New Jersey City University
Jersey City Public
54$19,326
6Raritan Valley Community College
Branchburg Public
53Not reported
7William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne Public
42$23,892
8Stockton University
Galloway Public
37$25,099
9Princeton University
Princeton Private not-for-profit
34Not reported
10Kean University
Union Public
25$25,928
Show the other 23 New Jersey colleges offering Fine and Studio Arts
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
County College of MorrisRandolphPublic57
Hudson County Community CollegeJersey CityPublic42
Rutgers University - NewarkNewarkPublic25
Stevens Institute of TechnologyHobokenPrivate not-for-profit23
Rutgers University - CamdenCamdenPublic22
Essex County CollegeNewarkPublic16
Drew UniversityMadisonPrivate not-for-profit14
Atlantic Cape Community CollegeMays LandingPublic13
Brookdale Community CollegeLincroftPublic11
Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan CampusTeaneckPrivate not-for-profit11
Ocean County CollegeToms RiverPublic11
Sussex County Community CollegeNewtonPublic10
Saint Peter's UniversityJersey CityPrivate not-for-profit8
Caldwell UniversityCaldwellPrivate not-for-profit7
Camden County CollegeBlackwoodPublic7
Rowan College at Burlington CountyMount LaurelPublic6
Passaic County Community CollegePatersonPublic5
Salem Community CollegeCarneys PointPublic5
Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland CampusVinelandPublic4
Felician UniversityLodiPrivate not-for-profit4
Monmouth UniversityWest Long BranchPrivate not-for-profit4
Georgian Court UniversityLakewoodPrivate not-for-profit3
Saint Elizabeth UniversityMorristownPrivate not-for-profit2

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 New Jersey

Jobs in New Jersey
310
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
—
annual
Best-paying metro
—

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Common questions

Answers for students comparing Fine and Studio Arts programs in New Jersey.

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

Rutgers University - New Brunswick (97 graduates a year), The College of New Jersey (73 graduates a year) and Montclair State University (65 graduates a year) award the most Fine and Studio Arts degrees in New Jersey, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 33 New Jersey colleges offer Fine and Studio Arts.

What is the best college for Fine and Studio Arts in New Jersey?+

By graduate earnings, The College of New Jersey leads among bachelor's Fine and Studio Arts programs in New Jersey, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $33,214, College Scorecard. Rowan University and Kean University follow. By degrees awarded, Rutgers University - New Brunswick is the largest, with 97 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

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

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, The College of New Jersey tops the list at $33,214. 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.

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