Art History Degree in Lakewood, CO — Salary & ROI 2026
Art History degree analysis for Lakewood, CO. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$53K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$61K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.9 yrs
in Lakewood
Cost of Living
105.8
index (100 = avg)
Art History in Lakewood, CO Overview
Lakewood, Colorado (pop. 155,984) has 6 colleges offering Art History programs. The local cost of living index of 105.8 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $1,395/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 Lakewood is approximately $52,900.
Category
Humanities
Local Colleges
6
Public Tuition
$12,200/yr
Private Tuition
$38,000/yr
Room & Board
$15,028/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$8,371/yr
Unemployment
2.9%
Graduation Rate
73%
Art History Salary in Lakewood (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Lakewood's cost of living index of 105.8 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Art History salary: $50,000 starting, $58,000 mid-career, $72,000 senior level.Lakewood adjustment factor: 1.06x based on the local cost of living index.
Art History ROI Calculator for Lakewood
Estimate your return on investment for a Art History degree using local Lakewood tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $12,200 | Private avg: $38,000
Lakewood avg aid: $8,371/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$108,912
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$15,870
vs HS diploma in Lakewood
ROI Payback Period
6.9 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Lakewood
$70,948
Lifetime earnings premium ($179,860) minus total education cost ($108,912)
Student Loan Payoff for Art History in Lakewood
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Lakewood for Art History
Lakewood State University
public
$11,245/yr
$44,980 total
University of Lakewood
public
$12,683/yr
$50,732 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Lakewood Community College
$5,959/yr
Top Employers for Art History in Lakewood
Lakewood offers opportunities in Publishing, Non-profits, Education for Art History graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Lakewood Hiring Sectors for Humanities
Publishing
Non-profits
Education
Media companies
Government
Common Art History Job Titles
Art History in Nearby Colorado Cities
Denver, CO
$64K starting · COL 128
31 colleges
Colorado Springs, CO
$61K starting · COL 122
22 colleges
Aurora, CO
$56K starting · COL 111
28 colleges
Fort Collins, CO
$63K starting · COL 126
5 colleges
Thornton, CO
$51K starting · COL 102.5
6 colleges
Arvada, CO
$53K starting · COL 105.5
5 colleges
Westminster, CO
$52K starting · COL 103.8
5 colleges
Pueblo, CO
$61K starting · COL 122
13 colleges
Other Humanities Majors in Lakewood
Chinese Studies
$58K starting · 4 yr ROI
Linguistics
$53K starting · 5.5 yr ROI
Philosophy
$47K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
Foreign Languages & Literatures
$53K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
English
$44K starting · 7 yr ROI
History
$47K starting · 7.5 yr ROI
Classics
$53K starting · 8 yr ROI
Africana Studies
$44K starting · 5 yr ROI
Art History Degree in Lakewood — 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 Lakewood.