Art History Degree in Lexington, KY — Salary & ROI 2026
Art History degree analysis for Lexington, KY. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$54K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$62K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
5.7 yrs
in Lexington
Cost of Living
107
index (100 = avg)
Art History in Lexington, KY Overview
Lexington, Kentucky (pop. 322,570) has 14 colleges offering Art History programs. The local cost of living index of 107 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $1,265/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 Lexington is approximately $53,500.
Category
Humanities
Local Colleges
14
Public Tuition
$12,360/yr
Private Tuition
$42,200/yr
Room & Board
$10,700/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$8,397/yr
Unemployment
6.4%
Graduation Rate
65%
Art History Salary in Lexington (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Lexington's cost of living index of 107 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Art History salary: $50,000 starting, $58,000 mid-career, $72,000 senior level.Lexington adjustment factor: 1.07x based on the local cost of living index.
Art History ROI Calculator for Lexington
Estimate your return on investment for a Art History degree using local Lexington tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $12,360 | Private avg: $42,200
Lexington avg aid: $8,397/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$92,240
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$16,050
vs HS diploma in Lexington
ROI Payback Period
5.7 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Lexington
$89,660
Lifetime earnings premium ($181,900) minus total education cost ($92,240)
Student Loan Payoff for Art History in Lexington
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Lexington for Art History
University of Kentucky
public
$12,360/yr
$49,440 total
Transylvania University
private
$42,200/yr
$168,800 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Bluegrass Community and Technical College
$4,680/yr
Top Employers for Art History in Lexington
Lexington offers opportunities in Publishing, Non-profits, Education for Art History graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Lexington Hiring Sectors for Humanities
Publishing
Non-profits
Education
Media companies
Government
Common Art History Job Titles
Art History in Nearby Kentucky Cities
Other Humanities Majors in Lexington
Chinese Studies
$59K starting · 4 yr ROI
Linguistics
$54K starting · 5.5 yr ROI
Philosophy
$47K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
Foreign Languages & Literatures
$54K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
English
$45K starting · 7 yr ROI
History
$47K starting · 7.5 yr ROI
Classics
$54K starting · 8 yr ROI
Africana Studies
$45K starting · 5 yr ROI
Art History Degree in Lexington — 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 Lexington.