Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 3 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry pays
Career outlook for Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry graduates
The job market for the occupations Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary | 122,800 | +1.7% | $80,190 | Master's degree |
| Artists and related workers, all other | 13,900 | +0.8% | $72,760 | No formal educational credential |
| Craft artists | 11,600 | +2.1% | $38,480 | No formal educational credential |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry vs similar majors
How Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry stacks up against the closest fields in Visual & Performing Arts on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry Visual & Performing Arts · this major | Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | Design and Applied Arts | Visual and Performing Arts, Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 16 F | 20 F | 24 F | 17 F |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Poor return | Poor return | Poor return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $38,321 | $49,346 | $48,751 | $46,078 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $25,027 | $33,236 | $33,324 | $28,029 |
| ROI vs cost | -182% | -48% | -54% | -87% |
| Typical debt | $25,560 | $33,258 | $24,245 | $35,747 |
| Colleges offering it | 3 | 58 | 416 | 10 |
Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI | Associate's | $42,545 | $30,620 | -131% | Poor return |
| 2 | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA | Associate's | $33,207 | $20,500 | -317% | Poor return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.