Art History Major — Salary & ROI 2026
Study of visual arts and their historical contexts across cultures and time periods.
Starting Salary
$50K
median
Mid-Career
$58K
salary
ROI Payback
7.5 yrs
avg payback
Unemployment
5%
rate
Art History Overview
Study of visual arts and their historical contexts across cultures and time periods.
Category
Humanities
Degree Level
Bachelor's
Graduation Rate
62%
Enrollment Trend
declining
Online Available
Yes
Underemployment
40%
Lifetime Premium
$170K
Female Graduates
72%
Art History Degree ROI Calculator
Estimate your actual return on investment based on school type and scholarships.
0 to $40K/year in aid
Est. Total Cost
$17,100
4-year tuition
Net Cost (w/ aid)
$17,100
after scholarships
ROI Payback
1 years
to break even
Lifetime Return
$152,900
Lifetime earnings premium ($170,000) minus net degree cost ($17,100)
Art History Salary Progression
Common Art History Careers
Museum Curator
Gallery Director
Art Appraiser
Academic Researcher
Top Employers
Skills You'll Learn
Top Schools for Art History
#1
Yale
#2
NYU
#3
Columbia
#4
Harvard
#5
University of Chicago
Related Majors
Art History Degree FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Enrollment and graduation data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES/IPEDS). Tuition estimates based on College Board Annual Survey of Colleges. Last updated March 2026.
Art History Programs by City
Tuition, salary outcomes, and cost of living for art history programs vary by city. See your local numbers:
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