Best programs to become an artist in Virginia
27 Virginia schools offer programs that train for this job, graduating 792 people a year. The job pays a median of $111,530 in Virginia across about 180 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
You do not need a college degree to become an artist. The fields of study that lead most directly to this job in Virginia are Visual and Performing Arts; Graphic Design; and Illustration (IPEDS completions). BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education.
All artists and related workers not listed.
7 programs in Virginia that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Virginia (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 Virginia page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 50.0101In Virginia → | 259 | 32.7% | 14 | $24,752 | $25,963 |
| 2 | CIP 50.0409In Virginia → | 192 | 24.2% | 5 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 3 | CIP 50.0410In Virginia → | 147 | 18.6% | 1 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 4 | CIP 50.0102In Virginia → | 87 | 11.0% | 2 | $24,752 | $25,963 |
| 5 | CIP 50.0702In Virginia → | 46 | 5.8% | 12 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 6 | CIP 50.0799In Virginia → | 39 | 4.9% | 3 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 7 | CIP 50.0201In Virginia → | 22 | 2.8% | 1 | $25,027 | $27,000 |
Top 25 schools in Virginia
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 6 of the 27 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA Public · 4 feeder programs | 261 | Illustration | $25,872 | 63% | — | 93% |
| 2 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 183 | Graphic Design | $30,019 | 65% | $28,911 | 99% |
| 3 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA Public · 1 feeder program | 136 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | $31,941 | 68% | — | 87% |
| 4 | Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA Public · 1 feeder program | 40 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | $23,656 | 72% | — | 86% |
| 5 | University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 30 | Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other | $24,013 | 66% | — | 80% |
| 6 | Longwood University Farmville, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 29 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | $34,812 | 61% | — | 90% |
| 7 | Bridgewater College Bridgewater, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 16 | Digital Arts | — | 53% | $19,485 | 92% |
| 8 | Virginia State University Petersburg, VA Public · 1 feeder program | 13 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | — | 39% | — | 89% |
| 9 | Tidewater Community College Norfolk, VA Public · 1 feeder program | 12 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | — | 32% | — | — |
| 10 | Hollins University Roanoke, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 11 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 65% | $21,981 | 68% |
| 11 | Regent University Virginia Beach, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 8 | Graphic Design | — | 57% | $18,677 | 38% |
| 12 | Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 7 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | — | 52% | $22,704 | 76% |
| 13 | University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 7 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 85% | $24,049 | 22% |
| 14 | Emory & Henry University Emory, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 5 | Graphic Design | — | 56% | $20,446 | 84% |
| 15 | Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA Public · 1 feeder program | 5 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | — | 33% | — | — |
| 16 | Piedmont Virginia Community College Charlottesville, VA Public · 1 feeder program | 5 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | — | 39% | — | — |
| 17 | Hampden - Sydney College Hampden-Sydney, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 3 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | — | 62% | $21,034 | 41% |
| 18 | Mary Baldwin University Staunton, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 3 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 39% | $18,500 | — |
| 19 | Southern Virginia University Buena Vista, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 3 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | — | 33% | $23,606 | 96% |
| 20 | Virginia Union University Richmond, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 3 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 34% | $21,249 | 98% |
| 21 | Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 3 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 94% | $11,983 | 14% |
| 22 | Ferrum College Ferrum, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 2 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 32% | $22,258 | 89% |
| 23 | Norfolk State University Norfolk, VA Public · 1 feeder program | 2 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | — | 38% | — | 88% |
| 24 | Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 2 | Fine/Studio Arts, General | — | 70% | $26,498 | 87% |
| 25 | Blue Ridge Community College Weyers Cave, VA Public · 1 feeder program | 1 | Visual and Performing Arts, General | — | 40% | — | — |
All 27 schools in Virginia
Every school in Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond | Public | 261 | 4 |
| Liberty University | Lynchburg | Private not-for-profit | 183 | 3 |
| George Mason University | Fairfax | Public | 136 | 1 |
| Christopher Newport University | Newport News | Public | 40 | 1 |
| University of Mary Washington | Fredericksburg | Public | 30 | 2 |
| Longwood University | Farmville | Public | 29 | 2 |
| Bridgewater College | Bridgewater | Private not-for-profit | 16 | 2 |
| Virginia State University | Petersburg | Public | 13 | 1 |
| Tidewater Community College | Norfolk | Public | 12 | 1 |
| Hollins University | Roanoke | Private not-for-profit | 11 | 1 |
| Regent University | Virginia Beach | Private not-for-profit | 8 | 1 |
| Sweet Briar College | Sweet Briar | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 2 |
| University of Richmond | University of Richmond | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 1 |
| Emory & Henry University | Emory | Private not-for-profit | 5 | 2 |
| Northern Virginia Community College | Annandale | Public | 5 | 1 |
Fields of study in Virginia that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
What artists and related workers, all other earn in Virginia
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $71,240. Virginia pays above the national figure.
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 and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Artists and Related Workers, All Other page.
How to become an artist
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Virginia
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 9 majors mapped to Artists and Related Workers, All Other9 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 50.0101Visual and Performing Arts, General
- 50.0102Digital Arts
- 50.0201Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry
- 50.0402Commercial and Advertising Art
- 50.0409Graphic Design
- 50.0410Illustration
- 50.0702Fine/Studio Arts, General
- 50.0799Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other
- 50.1101Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art
Common questions
Answers for people weighing artists and related workers, all other programs in Virginia.
What degree do you need to become an artist?+
You do not need a college degree to become an artist. The fields of study that lead most directly to this job in Virginia are Visual and Performing Arts; Graphic Design; and Illustration (IPEDS completions). BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education.
Which college majors lead to becoming an artist?+
The fields of study that lead most directly to this job in Virginia are Visual and Performing Arts; Graphic Design; and Illustration (IPEDS completions). In all, 7 feeder programs graduate about 792 people a year in Virginia (IPEDS completions).
How much do artists and related workers, all other earn in Virginia?+
The median is $111,530 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 56.6% above the U.S. median of $71,240. 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 artists and related workers, all other growing?+
BLS projects a +0.8% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 1,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Virginia?+
27 institutions in Virginia 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.
Do you need training or experience beyond a degree?+
BLS lists 'None' for related work experience and 'Long-term on-the-job training' for on-the-job training typically needed to reach competency.
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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