Best Fine Artist programs in New Jersey, ranked by enrollment
Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and.
37 schools in New Jersey run programs that feed this job, graduating 958 people a year. The job pays a median of — in New Jersey across about 310 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in New Jersey that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
7 programs in New Jersey that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in New Jersey (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 New Jersey page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Art/Art Studies, Generalmain feeder CIP 50.0701In New Jersey → | 446 | 46.6% | 17 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 2 | Fine/Studio Arts, Generalmain feeder CIP 50.0702In New Jersey → | 191 | 19.9% | 14 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 3 | CIP 50.0101In New Jersey → | 173 | 18.1% | 9 | $24,752 | $25,963 |
| 4 | Fine Arts and Art Studies, Othermain feeder CIP 50.0799In New Jersey → | 83 | 8.7% | 3 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 5 | Intermedia/Multimediamain feeder CIP 50.0706In New Jersey → | 56 | 5.8% | 2 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 6 | CIP 51.2703In New Jersey → | 7 | 0.7% | 1 | $47,775 | $25,000 |
| 7 | Sculpturemain feeder CIP 50.0709In New Jersey → | 2 | 0.2% | 1 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
Top 25 schools in New Jersey
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 14 of the 37 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 75 | Art/Art Studies, General | $21,908 | 84% | — | 58% |
| 2 | The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ Public · 2 feeder programs | 72 | Art/Art Studies, General | $33,214 | 86% | — | 62% |
| 3 | Montclair State University Montclair, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 65 | Art/Art Studies, General | $21,934 | 65% | — | 88% |
| 4 | Rowan University Glassboro, NJ Public · 2 feeder programs | 62 | Art/Art Studies, General | $26,119 | 67% | — | 78% |
| 5 | County College of Morris Randolph, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 57 | Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other | $33,881 | 36% | — | — |
| 6 | Ocean County College Toms River, NJ Public · 2 feeder programs | 55 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | — | 42% | — | — |
| 7 | Stockton University Galloway, NJ Public · 2 feeder programs | 55 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | $25,099 | 69% | — | 89% |
| 8 | New Jersey City University Jersey City, NJ Public · 2 feeder programs | 54 | Art/Art Studies, General | $19,326 | 34% | — | 98% |
| 9 | Raritan Valley Community College Branchburg, NJ Public · 2 feeder programs | 53 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 31% | — | — |
| 10 | William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ Public · 2 feeder programs | 46 | Art/Art Studies, General | $23,892 | 44% | — | 90% |
| 11 | Hudson County Community College Jersey City, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 42 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | $22,619 | 26% | — | — |
| 12 | Bloomfield College of Montclair State University Bloomfield, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 31 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | $17,625 | 38% | $20,940 | 70% |
| 13 | Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 27 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | — | 70% | — | 71% |
| 14 | Middlesex College Edison, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 26 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | — | 33% | — | — |
| 15 | Kean University Union, NJ Public · 2 feeder programs | 25 | Art/Art Studies, General | $25,928 | 47% | — | 76% |
| 16 | Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 25 | Art/Art Studies, General | $21,908 | 64% | — | 71% |
| 17 | Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other | — | 87% | $34,827 | 48% |
| 18 | Rutgers University - Camden Camden, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 22 | Art/Art Studies, General | $21,908 | 67% | — | 66% |
| 19 | Essex County College Newark, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Art/Art Studies, General | — | 20% | — | — |
| 20 | Mercer County Community College West Windsor, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | — | 25% | — | — |
| 21 | Atlantic Cape Community College Mays Landing, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 30% | — | — |
| 22 | Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus Teaneck, NJ Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 13 | Art/Art Studies, General | — | 53% | $18,059 | 91% |
| 23 | Brookdale Community College Lincroft, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 30% | — | — |
| 24 | Drew University Madison, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 70% | $23,094 | 68% |
| 25 | Sussex County Community College Newton, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 37% | — | — |
All 37 schools in New Jersey
Every school in New Jersey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers University - New Brunswick | New Brunswick | Public | 75 | 1 |
| The College of New Jersey | Ewing | Public | 72 | 2 |
| Montclair State University | Montclair | Public | 65 | 1 |
| Rowan University | Glassboro | Public | 62 | 2 |
| County College of Morris | Randolph | Public | 57 | 1 |
| Ocean County College | Toms River | Public | 55 | 2 |
| Stockton University | Galloway | Public | 55 | 2 |
| New Jersey City University | Jersey City | Public | 54 | 2 |
| Raritan Valley Community College | Branchburg | Public | 53 | 2 |
| William Paterson University of New Jersey | Wayne | Public | 46 | 2 |
| Hudson County Community College | Jersey City | Public | 42 | 1 |
| Bloomfield College of Montclair State University | Bloomfield | Public | 31 | 1 |
| Ramapo College of New Jersey | Mahwah | Public | 27 | 1 |
| Middlesex College | Edison | Public | 26 | 1 |
| Kean University | Union | Public | 25 | 2 |
What fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators earn in New Jersey
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
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 Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators page.
How to become a Fine Artist
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in New Jersey
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 12 majors mapped to Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators12 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 50.0101Visual and Performing Arts, General
- 50.0701Art/Art Studies, General
- 50.0702Fine/Studio Arts, General
- 50.0705Drawing
- 50.0706Intermedia/Multimedia
- 50.0708Painting
- 50.0709Sculpture
- 50.0710Printmaking
- 50.0711Ceramic Arts and Ceramics
- 50.0799Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other
- 50.1101Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art
- 51.2703Medical Illustration/Medical Illustrator
Common questions
Answers for people weighing fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators programs in New Jersey.
What degree do you need to become a Fine Artist?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Art/Art Studies, General, which awarded 446 degrees in New Jersey in 2024-25, 46.6% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Fine Artist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 7 programs to this occupation. The largest are Fine and Studio Arts, Visual and Performing Arts, Medical Illustration and Informatics. Together they graduate about 958 people a year in New Jersey.
Is demand for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators growing?+
BLS projects a -1.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 2,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in New Jersey?+
37 institutions in New Jersey reported graduates from at least one of the 7 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 fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Artist, Painter, Sculptor, Fine Artist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-1013.
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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