Art History Degree in Dayton, OH — Salary & ROI 2026
Art History degree analysis for Dayton, OH. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$52K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$60K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
5.7 yrs
in Dayton
Cost of Living
104
index (100 = avg)
Art History in Dayton, OH Overview
Dayton, Ohio (pop. 137,644) has 9 colleges offering Art History programs. The local cost of living index of 104 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $865/month. Although national enrollment in Art History has been declining, graduates with skills in Visual Analysis and Art Criticism remain competitive in the job market. The adjusted starting salary in Dayton is approximately $52,000.
Category
Humanities
Local Colleges
9
Public Tuition
$9,740/yr
Private Tuition
$46,490/yr
Room & Board
$12,639/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$7,990/yr
Unemployment
6%
Graduation Rate
50%
Art History Salary in Dayton (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Dayton's cost of living index of 104 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Art History salary: $50,000 starting, $58,000 mid-career, $72,000 senior level.Dayton adjustment factor: 1.04x based on the local cost of living index.
Art History ROI Calculator for Dayton
Estimate your return on investment for a Art History degree using local Dayton tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $9,740 | Private avg: $46,490
Dayton avg aid: $7,990/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$89,516
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$15,600
vs HS diploma in Dayton
ROI Payback Period
5.7 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Dayton
$87,284
Lifetime earnings premium ($176,800) minus total education cost ($89,516)
Student Loan Payoff for Art History in Dayton
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Dayton for Art History
University of Dayton
private
$46,490/yr
$185,960 total
Wright State University
public
$9,740/yr
$38,960 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Sinclair Community College
$4,344/yr
Top Employers for Art History in Dayton
Dayton offers opportunities in Publishing, Non-profits, Education for Art History graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Dayton Hiring Sectors for Humanities
Publishing
Non-profits
Education
Media companies
Government
Common Art History Job Titles
Art History in Nearby Ohio Cities
Columbus, OH
$52K starting · COL 103
31 colleges
Cleveland, OH
$48K starting · COL 96
20 colleges
Cincinnati, OH
$51K starting · COL 102
28 colleges
Toledo, OH
$54K starting · COL 108
16 colleges
Akron, OH
$53K starting · COL 105
5 colleges
Parma, OH
$45K starting · COL 90
4 colleges
Canton, OH
$42K starting · COL 84
4 colleges
Lorain, OH
$43K starting · COL 85.2
3 colleges
Other Humanities Majors in Dayton
Chinese Studies
$57K starting · 4 yr ROI
Linguistics
$52K starting · 5.5 yr ROI
Philosophy
$46K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
Foreign Languages & Literatures
$52K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
English
$44K starting · 7 yr ROI
History
$46K starting · 7.5 yr ROI
Classics
$52K starting · 8 yr ROI
Africana Studies
$44K starting · 5 yr ROI
Art History Degree in Dayton — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Art History ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Dayton.