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Art History & Management

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

No paint on your clothes, just a lot of highlighters. You will read dense, theoretical texts about postmodernism, write 30-page theses on the socio-political impact of a single brushstroke, and intern at local galleries (usually for free).

You are the academic backbone of the art world.

What you'll do after college

You are the gatekeepers. Grads become museum curators, gallery directors, auction house appraisers, critics, and arts administrators. It's a prestige-heavy, networking-reliant field.

Many eventually pivot to law school (to become IP/art lawyers) or pursue a Ph.D. to become tenured professors or head curators at major museums.

Famous graduates

  • Thelma Golden — Director and Chief Curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem; B.A. from Smith College
  • Jerry Saltz — Pulitzer-winning art critic; studied at School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)
  • Peggy Guggenheim — Legendary art collector and bohemian; informally educated/self-taught

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$40,270
694
100–76%
$47,493
1,386
76–35%
$49,080
707
35–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$41,186
521
400–1230
$43,732
975
1230–1420
$51,367
500
1420–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$34,154p10 $52,786p90 Arts Female-only Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University Liberal Arts 1–15 Public University 1–15 Private University 1–30 Bennington College · $28,777 Fashion Institute of Technology · $34,745 The New School · $72,193 Ringling College of Art and Design · $32,960 Pratt Institute · $31,667 SUNY at Purchase College · $35,999 Columbia College Chicago · $37,932 Maryland Institute College of Art · $31,021 Massachusetts College of Art and Design · $32,581 Savannah College of Art and Design · $35,752 Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development · $39,637 Barnard College · $53,371 Wellesley College · $59,558 Spelman College · $35,434 Bryn Mawr College · $40,550 Smith College · $36,970 Mount Holyoke College · $34,444 Scripps College · $42,983 Agnes Scott College · $40,077 St Catherine University · $41,270 Sweet Briar College · $37,755 Simmons University · $41,320 Denison University · $43,373 Carleton College · $54,799 Colorado College · $46,277 Skidmore College · $59,717 Trinity University · $45,156 Pitzer College · $35,260 Morehouse College · $38,611 Macalester College · $44,210 Trinity College (CT) · $44,666 Kenyon College · $54,129 Bucknell University · $49,343 Oberlin College · $44,920 Gettysburg College · $43,583 Muhlenberg College · $43,957 Connecticut College · $44,623 Whitman College · $38,158 Florida Southern College · $43,670 Southwestern University · $41,211 Furman University · $47,364 Wofford College · $44,102 Earlham College · $53,757 University of the South · $43,602 Rollins College · $38,433 Flagler College · $34,154 Centre College · $42,287 Kalamazoo College · $38,400 Providence College · $47,647 Rhodes College · $41,852 Lake Forest College · $41,048 Nazareth University · $37,655 University of the Ozarks · $40,308 DePauw University · $43,174 Carthage College · $44,212 Albion College · $39,188 Cornell College · $39,578 Chatham University · $42,519 Drew University · $31,061 Drury University · $43,431 Transylvania University · $40,797 Hope College · $41,236 Kansas Wesleyan University · $39,107 Augustana College (IL) · $42,493 Knox College · $39,512 University of Puget Sound · $43,932 Gustavus Adolphus College · $40,195 Hanover College · $41,081 Lipscomb University · $37,433 Lawrence University · $25,220 Susquehanna University · $43,928 Willamette University · $30,209 Lewis & Clark College · $20,013 Oglethorpe University · $33,417 Keene State College · $40,967 Schreiner University · $40,342 Pacific University · $42,549 Randolph College · $36,830 Hartwick College · $38,762 CUNY Hunter College · $39,965 University of California, Irvine · $43,239 Binghamton University · $50,086 University of California, Santa Barbara · $43,808 University of South Florida · $35,175 University of Washington · $41,639 Cal Poly - Pomona · $43,051 Delaware State University · $37,547 Florida International University · $27,792 University of North Carolina Wilmington · $35,419 University of Maryland, College Park · $53,215 University of California, Davis · $42,323 State University of New York at New Paltz · $27,580 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $41,220 Stony Brook University · $30,771 Ohio State University · $43,071 CUNY Brooklyn College · $39,966 CUNY Queens College · $39,052 Cal State Fullerton · $40,806 University of Connecticut · $53,113 University of South Carolina · $42,269 Pennsylvania State University · $46,561 CUNY Lehman College · $42,637 University of Pittsburgh · $58,839 University of Massachusetts - Amherst · $42,143 University of New Mexico · $35,645 College of New Jersey · $52,786 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $44,332 Winthrop University · $41,741 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $42,166 Central Michigan University · $35,484 Eastern Michigan University · $42,163 Oklahoma State University · $44,367 Rutgers University - New Brunswick · $46,136 University at Albany · $40,340 James Madison University · $50,735 University of Michigan - Dearborn · $43,250 Texas State University · $40,199 University of Colorado Boulder · $38,849 University of Alabama · $47,914 College of Charleston · $45,004 Cal State Sacramento · $39,822 Cleveland State University · $26,526 George Mason University · $59,005 Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts · $40,943 Oakland University · $30,716 Ohio University · $41,088 Salem State University · $41,748 Temple University · $40,176 University of Delaware · $45,727 University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth · $30,063 University of North Carolina at Greensboro · $43,688 University of Oklahoma - Norman · $44,556 University of Texas at Arlington · $47,866 Virginia Commonwealth University · $37,946 Wright State University · $36,716 University of Vermont · $49,787 Miami University - Ohio · $43,525 SUNY College at Geneseo · $36,598 University of Michigan - Flint · $39,839 University of Arkansas · $49,188 University of Louisville · $40,357 University of Mississippi · $44,823 University of Houston · $44,829 University of Illinois Chicago · $40,738 Indiana University · $54,031 University of Minnesota - Morris · $43,015 University of Missouri - Kansas City · $44,657 University of North Florida · $44,002 University of North Carolina at Charlotte · $44,205 Middle Tennessee State University · $42,317 Coastal Carolina University · $36,477 Columbus State University · $36,324 Kennesaw State University · $35,397 University of Iowa · $47,431 Metropolitan State University of Denver · $42,560 Portland State University · $31,766 University of Minnesota - Duluth · $42,135 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $46,304 University of Toledo · $38,949 University of Mary Washington · $41,917 San Jose State University · $50,509 SUNY College at Potsdam · $45,408 University of Central Oklahoma · $37,726 University of New Orleans · $44,866 University of North Texas · $41,865 Bowling Green State University · $41,274 Eastern Washington University · $29,500 Kent State University at Kent · $35,050 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania · $38,651 Sonoma State University · $36,079 University of Nevada, Las Vegas · $43,285 University of North Carolina Asheville · $33,255 University of Utah · $48,462 University of California, Santa Cruz · $32,283 Western Michigan University · $36,144 Michigan State University · $42,569 Wayne State University · $39,763 Boise State University · $40,737 Indiana University - Indianapolis · $43,996 Cal State Dominguez Hills · $40,138 Central Washington University · $33,868 Colorado Mesa University · $31,894 Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania · $38,575 Delta State University · $40,795 Rhode Island College · $41,197 SUNY Buffalo State University · $42,851 Southern Utah University · $31,028 University of Arizona · $35,813 University of Cincinnati · $40,956 University of Maine · $44,189 West Virginia University · $43,451 Western Kentucky University · $37,792 Wichita State University · $32,068 Bridgewater State University · $44,673 University of California, Riverside · $37,821 University of Nebraska at Omaha · $46,052 University of Oregon · $29,462 Towson University · $42,999 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee · $45,349 University of Kentucky · $47,858 University of North Alabama · $37,124 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point · $45,826 SUNY at Fredonia · $34,190 University of Texas at San Antonio · $37,697 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay · $44,216 University of Wisconsin - Stout · $46,189 Old Dominion University · $42,376 University of Kansas · $38,273 Grand Valley State University · $38,234 San Francisco State University · $32,016 Utah State University · $41,336 University of Northern Iowa · $44,251 Western Washington University · $39,456 University of Texas at El Paso · $36,105 University of California, Merced · $41,995 Utah Valley University · $44,458 Washburn University · $32,254 University of Notre Dame · $60,974 Boston College · $50,691 Fairfield University · $48,982 Villanova University · $56,668 Mississippi Christian University · $40,039 College of Wooster · $25,620 Saint Olaf College · $42,702 Stonehill College · $46,158 Fordham University · $48,301 Santa Clara University · $45,857 Saint Louis University · $43,405 Southern Methodist University · $62,133 Texas Christian University · $42,424 Loyola Marymount University · $57,576 Loyola University New Orleans · $48,246 Baylor University · $48,241 University of San Diego · $40,380 Creighton University · $46,708 University of Dayton · $45,547 University of San Francisco · $31,971 Bellarmine University · $41,379 Manhattan College · $42,966 Wheaton College (IL) · $44,396 Midland University · $52,952 Albright College · $38,681 Merrimack College · $41,366 American University · $49,282 Arcadia University · $34,245 Brigham Young University · $35,937 Ohio Northern University · $39,438 Queens University of Charlotte · $42,660 Pepperdine University · $45,197 Centenary University · $38,831 Concordia College at Moorhead · $49,716 Niagara University · $37,201 St. Ambrose University · $43,654 Chapman University · $39,839 Saint Vincent College · $40,844 Salve Regina University · $56,324 Seton Hill University · $40,477 Millikin University · $39,514 University of Tulsa · $45,602 Loyola University Chicago · $43,863 Baldwin Wallace University · $55,891 Benedictine University · $42,037 La Salle University · $40,538 Marywood University · $43,701 Seattle University · $42,522 Wagner College · $51,484 St. John's University - New York · $46,633 Catholic University of America · $44,409 Campbell University · $41,490 Emory & Henry University · $36,970 Dominican University · $41,469 DePaul University · $42,012 University of Olivet · $38,867 Seattle Pacific University · $28,898 Belmont University · $38,317 Virginia Union University · $34,609 University of Miami · $46,885 University of Richmond · $46,768 Syracuse University · $42,257 University of Tampa · $48,424 Clark University · $36,410 University of Rochester · $39,291 Brandeis University · $47,998 George Washington University · $39,491 Hofstra University · $55,370 Webster University · $38,691 Drake University · $40,894 Elon University · $47,827 Hobart William Smith Colleges · $42,406 Lincoln Memorial University · $40,376 Long Island University · $38,450 Suffolk University · $41,367 University of La Verne · $41,719 Lindenwood University · $47,800 Daemen University · $39,912 Ithaca College · $43,827 Pace University · $42,005 University of Hartford · $41,649 Butler University · $42,661 Rider University · $45,122 Drexel University · $49,166 University of Denver · $40,742 Pomona College · $49,462 Swarthmore College · $50,390 Bowdoin College · $51,457 Washington & Lee University · $55,981 Haverford College · $52,265 Middlebury College · $51,401 Colby College · $50,583 Hamilton College · $51,424 Grinnell College · $30,564 Wesleyan University · $48,182 University of California, Berkeley · $50,742 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $50,885 UCLA · $40,714 University of Florida · $28,221 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · $42,892 University of Georgia · $52,522 Purdue University · $40,704 North Carolina State University · $53,807 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $33,666 University of Texas at Austin · $46,131 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $39,728 Florida State University · $43,900 University of California, San Diego · $40,059 Stanford University · $49,490 Yale University · $29,915 Harvard University · $47,407 University of Chicago · $66,846 Princeton University · $48,299 Brown University · $72,199 Dartmouth · $63,955 University of Pennsylvania · $49,896 Duke University · $59,275 Columbia University · $51,351 Johns Hopkins University · $61,409 Rice University · $62,143 Northwestern University · $48,993 Georgetown University · $58,176 Vanderbilt University · $88,458 Cornell University · $69,718 Emory University · $53,141 Washington University in St Louis · $46,849 Tufts University · $33,797 University of Southern California · $54,193 New York University · $57,167 Wake Forest University · $63,052 Boston University · $52,738 Tulane University · $46,205 Case Western Reserve University · $47,928 Lehigh University · $48,874 Arts: mean $37,569 Female-only: mean $42,157 Liberal Arts: mean $41,534 Public University: mean $41,061 Religious University: mean $43,845 Private University: mean $43,366 Liberal Arts 1–15: mean $49,171 Public University 1–15: mean $43,382 Private University 1–30: mean $55,057 All colleges: p10 $34,154 All colleges: p90 $52,786
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Art History & Management 438 2,832 16% / 84% 8% $45,293 91%
Art History 316 1,643 13% / 87% 6% $42,206 91%
Arts Management 37 233 25% / 75% 3% $42,248 95%
Strategic Design and Management 1 227 15% / 85% 41% $72,193 90%
Art History, Criticism and Conservation 28 144 7% / 93% 3% $41,977 90%
Fine and Studio Arts Management 10 107 24% / 76% 6% $43,618 97%
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management 15 106 33% / 67% 4% $45,789 97%
History of Art 8 78 14% / 86% 6% $54,238 92%
History of Art and Architecture 3 59 19% / 81% 5% $54,471 87%
Art History and Criticism 25 36 14% / 86% 6% $40,347
Art History and Archaeology 2 36 22% / 78% 19% $49,100 96%
History of Art and Visual Culture 1 34 21% / 79% 0% $32,283 86%
Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship 1 25 24% / 76% 0% $43,494 92%
Arts and Entertainment Management 2 20 65% / 35% 15% $38,572 91%
Arts Administration 7 18 11% / 89% 6% $41,860 96%
Museum Studies 8 15 13% / 87% 7% $47,062
Global Arts Studies 1 13 15% / 85% 0% $41,995
History of Art and Design 1 12 8% / 92% 17% $27,442 93%
Art and Archaeology 1 11 18% / 82% 9% $48,299
Business of Art and Design 1 4 0% / 100% 25% $32,960
Art Theory and Practice 1 3 0% / 100% 33% $49,057
Arts Leadership 1 3 0% / 100% 0% $43,846 94%
Critical and Visual Studies 1 3 33% / 67% 33% $48,566
Fine Arts Management 5 2 50% / 50% 0% $42,590