Art History Degree in Lake Charles, LA — Salary & ROI 2026
Art History degree analysis for Lake Charles, LA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$40K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$46K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
7.8 yrs
in Lake Charles
Cost of Living
80
index (100 = avg)
Art History in Lake Charles, LA Overview
Lake Charles, Louisiana (pop. 84,872) has 6 colleges offering Art History programs. The local cost of living index of 80 keeps student expenses low, with average rent near campus at $925/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 Lake Charles is approximately $40,000.
Category
Humanities
Local Colleges
6
Public Tuition
$9,274/yr
Private Tuition
$41,023/yr
Room & Board
$14,078/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$16,078/yr
Unemployment
3.3%
Graduation Rate
56%
Art History Salary in Lake Charles (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Lake Charles's cost of living index of 80 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Art History salary: $50,000 starting, $58,000 mid-career, $72,000 senior level.Lake Charles adjustment factor: 0.80x based on the local cost of living index.
Art History ROI Calculator for Lake Charles
Estimate your return on investment for a Art History degree using local Lake Charles tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $9,274 | Private avg: $41,023
Lake Charles avg aid: $16,078/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$93,408
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$12,000
vs HS diploma in Lake Charles
ROI Payback Period
7.8 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Lake Charles
$42,592
Lifetime earnings premium ($136,000) minus total education cost ($93,408)
Student Loan Payoff for Art History in Lake Charles
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Lake Charles for Art History
McNeese State University
public
$9,274/yr
$37,096 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Sowela Technical Community College
$4,236/yr
Top Employers for Art History in Lake Charles
Lake Charles offers opportunities in Publishing, Non-profits, Education for Art History graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Lake Charles Hiring Sectors for Humanities
Publishing
Non-profits
Education
Media companies
Government
Common Art History Job Titles
Art History in Nearby Louisiana Cities
New Orleans, LA
$45K starting · COL 90
23 colleges
Baton Rouge, LA
$41K starting · COL 82
16 colleges
Shreveport, LA
$50K starting · COL 99
14 colleges
Metairie, LA
$45K starting · COL 89.4
6 colleges
Lafayette, LA
$52K starting · COL 104
5 colleges
Bossier City, LA
$44K starting · COL 87.8
3 colleges
Kenner, LA
$46K starting · COL 92.5
3 colleges
Other Humanities Majors in Lake Charles
Chinese Studies
$44K starting · 4 yr ROI
Linguistics
$40K starting · 5.5 yr ROI
Philosophy
$35K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
Foreign Languages & Literatures
$40K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
English
$34K starting · 7 yr ROI
History
$35K starting · 7.5 yr ROI
Classics
$40K starting · 8 yr ROI
Africana Studies
$34K starting · 5 yr ROI
Art History Degree in Lake Charles — 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 Lake Charles.