Bachelor's · Chico, California
Is Fine and Studio Arts at California State University-Chico worth it?
Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 10.1 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $38,154
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $48,838
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $17,594
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $60k (likely $60k – $82k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $9k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 10.1 years (likely 7.0–19.7)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$173k (likely −$247k – −$108k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$38k (likely −$176k – $100k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 60%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Change income, residency or loans Compare Fine and Studio Arts at other schools
Other majors at California State University-Chico
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$127,498
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)$117,543
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$109,161
- Engineering, Other (Bachelor's)$103,272
- Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$97,345
- Construction Engineering Technology/Technician (Bachelor's)$94,934
- Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's)$93,555
- Civil Engineering (Bachelor's)$92,472
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$91,059
- Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor's)$86,430
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$85,612
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering (Bachelor's)$81,738
Fine and Studio Arts at other schools in California
- University of Southern California$72,428
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$59,721
- Loyola Marymount University$58,468
- University of California-Berkeley$51,699
- University of California-San Diego$48,506
- Biola University$47,596
- University of California-Santa Barbara$46,428
- University of California-Los Angeles$46,173
- California State University-East Bay$46,136
- Sonoma State University$46,022