Best Fine Artist programs in Ohio, ranked by enrollment
Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and.
45 schools in Ohio run programs that feed this job, graduating 791 people a year. The job pays a median of $31,780 in Ohio across about 510 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Ohio that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
12 programs in Ohio that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Ohio (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 Ohio page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fine/Studio Arts, Generalmain feeder CIP 50.0702In Ohio → | 331 | 41.8% | 22 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 2 | Art/Art Studies, Generalmain feeder CIP 50.0701In Ohio → | 206 | 26.0% | 18 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 3 | CIP 50.0101In Ohio → | 127 | 16.1% | 5 | $24,752 | $25,963 |
| 4 | Fine Arts and Art Studies, Othermain feeder CIP 50.0799In Ohio → | 42 | 5.3% | 9 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 5 | Drawingmain feeder CIP 50.0705In Ohio → | 37 | 4.7% | 2 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 6 | Intermedia/Multimediamain feeder CIP 50.0706In Ohio → | 13 | 1.6% | 3 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 7 | Paintingmain feeder CIP 50.0708In Ohio → | 13 | 1.6% | 3 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 8 | Sculpturemain feeder CIP 50.0709In Ohio → | 8 | 1.0% | 4 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 9 | CIP 51.2703In Ohio → | 6 | 0.8% | 1 | $47,775 | $25,000 |
| 10 | Printmakingmain feeder CIP 50.0710In Ohio → | 5 | 0.6% | 3 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 11 | Ceramic Arts and Ceramicsmain feeder CIP 50.0711In Ohio → | 2 | 0.3% | 1 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 12 | Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Artmain feeder CIP 50.1101In Ohio → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | — | — |
Top 25 schools in Ohio
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 17 of the 45 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus State Community College Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 109 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | — | 28% | — | — |
| 2 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 2 feeder programs | 96 | Art/Art Studies, General | $29,186 | 88% | — | 61% |
| 3 | Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 61 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | $19,138 | 64% | — | 86% |
| 4 | Ohio University - Main Campus Athens, OH Public · 8 feeder programs | 52 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | $29,053 | 65% | — | 85% |
| 5 | University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH Public · 2 feeder programs | 49 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | $29,431 | 75% | — | 85% |
| 6 | Sinclair Community College Dayton, OH Public · 2 feeder programs | 48 | Drawing | — | 41% | — | — |
| 7 | Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 41 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | $31,128 | 64% | — | 81% |
| 8 | Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 33 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | $29,203 | 50% | — | 84% |
| 9 | Oberlin College Oberlin, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 29 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 81% | $28,313 | 34% |
| 10 | Wright State University - Main Campus Dayton, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Art/Art Studies, General | $22,631 | 42% | — | 96% |
| 11 | Cleveland Institute of Art Cleveland, OH Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 18 | Medical Illustration/Medical Illustrator | — | 58% | $31,870 | 61% |
| 12 | Columbus College of Art & Design Columbus, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 17 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | $25,751 | 56% | $30,330 | 68% |
| 13 | University of Toledo Toledo, OH Public · 2 feeder programs | 16 | Art/Art Studies, General | $21,392 | 57% | — | 92% |
| 14 | Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | $23,352 | 51% | — | 91% |
| 15 | Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Art/Art Studies, General | $24,912 | 80% | — | 75% |
| 16 | Kenyon College Gambier, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other | $23,082 | 82% | $20,475 | 31% |
| 17 | University of Mount Union Alliance, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Art/Art Studies, General | — | 59% | $21,121 | 78% |
| 18 | Wittenberg University Springfield, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Art/Art Studies, General | — | 53% | $18,486 | 72% |
| 19 | Otterbein University Westerville, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 68% | $20,150 | 85% |
| 20 | University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH Public · 4 feeder programs | 10 | Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other | $22,837 | 52% | — | 60% |
| 21 | Xavier University Cincinnati, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 69% | $31,119 | 86% |
| 22 | Denison University Granville, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 79% | $23,864 | 17% |
| 23 | Shawnee State University Portsmouth, OH Public · 2 feeder programs | 9 | Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other | $19,261 | 48% | — | — |
| 24 | University of Rio Grande Rio Grande, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Art/Art Studies, General | — | 36% | $29,669 | — |
| 25 | Central State University Wilberforce, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Art/Art Studies, General | — | 23% | — | 99% |
All 45 schools in Ohio
Every school in Ohio 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus State Community College | Columbus | Public | 109 | 1 |
| Ohio State University - Main Campus | Columbus | Public | 96 | 2 |
| Kent State University at Kent | Kent | Public | 61 | 1 |
| Ohio University - Main Campus | Athens | Public | 52 | 8 |
| University of Cincinnati - Main Campus | Cincinnati | Public | 49 | 2 |
| Sinclair Community College | Dayton | Public | 48 | 2 |
| Bowling Green State University - Main Campus | Bowling Green | Public | 41 | 1 |
| Youngstown State University | Youngstown | Public | 33 | 1 |
| Oberlin College | Oberlin | Private not-for-profit | 29 | 1 |
| Wright State University - Main Campus | Dayton | Public | 19 | 1 |
| Cleveland Institute of Art | Cleveland | Private not-for-profit | 18 | 6 |
| Columbus College of Art & Design | Columbus | Private not-for-profit | 17 | 2 |
| University of Toledo | Toledo | Public | 16 | 2 |
| Cleveland State University | Cleveland | Public | 14 | 1 |
| Miami University - Oxford | Oxford | Public | 14 | 1 |
What fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators earn in Ohio
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $55,490. Ohio pays below the national figure.
Concentrated here: Ohio employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Ohio
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 Ohio
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 Ohio.
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 Fine/Studio Arts, General, which awarded 331 degrees in Ohio in 2024-25, 41.8% 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 12 programs to this occupation. The largest are Fine and Studio Arts, Visual and Performing Arts, Medical Illustration and Informatics, Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art. Together they graduate about 791 people a year in Ohio.
How much do fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators earn in Ohio?+
The median is $31,780 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 42.7% below the U.S. median of $55,490. 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 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 Ohio?+
45 institutions in Ohio reported graduates from at least one of the 12 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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