Graduates of Cleveland Institute of Art earn median 4-year earnings of $41,829, placing the institution in the 1.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $20,660 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Cleveland Institute of Art in the 5.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Cleveland Institute of Art #1404 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Cleveland Institute of Art's concentrated focus on visual and performing arts. Design and Applied Arts is the largest program with 65 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $47,147, representing 0.9x the national benchmark for the field. The Fine and Studio Arts program graduates 25 students with median 4-year earnings of $33,253, at 0.8x the CIP benchmark. Graphic Communications and Film/Video and Photographic Arts round out the core program portfolio, each enrolling 16 and 11 graduates respectively. As a specialized arts institution, Cleveland Institute of Art channels students into creative and design-adjacent careers where earnings reflect both artistic skill development and the regional labor market for creative professionals in the Cleveland area.
Graduates of Cleveland Institute of Art earn median 4-year earnings of $41,829, placing the institution in the 1.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $20,660 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Cleveland Institute of Art in the 5.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Cleveland Institute of Art #1404 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Cleveland Institute of Art's concentrated focus on visual and performing arts. Design and Applied Arts is the largest program with 65 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $47,147, representing 0.9x the national benchmark for the field. The Fine and Studio Arts program graduates 25 students with median 4-year earnings of $33,253, at 0.8x the CIP benchmark. Graphic Communications and Film/Video and Photographic Arts round out the core program portfolio, each enrolling 16 and 11 graduates respectively. As a specialized arts institution, Cleveland Institute of Art channels students into creative and design-adjacent careers where earnings reflect both artistic skill development and the regional labor market for creative professionals in the Cleveland area.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Cleveland Institute of Art earn median 4-year earnings of $41,829, placing the institution in the 1.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $20,660 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Cleveland Institute of Art in the 5.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Cleveland Institute of Art #1404 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Cleveland Institute of Art's concentrated focus on visual and performing arts. Design and Applied Arts is the largest program with 65 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $47,147, representing 0.9x the national benchmark for the field. The Fine and Studio Arts program graduates 25 students with median 4-year earnings of $33,253, at 0.8x the CIP benchmark. Graphic Communications and Film/Video and Photographic Arts round out the core program portfolio, each enrolling 16 and 11 graduates respectively. As a specialized arts institution, Cleveland Institute of Art channels students into creative and design-adjacent careers where earnings reflect both artistic skill development and the regional labor market for creative professionals in the Cleveland area.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Cleveland Institute of Art concentrates its program portfolio in visual and performing arts — a signature that reflects the institution's specialized mission as a fine-arts conservatory. Design and Applied Arts is the largest program with 65 graduates, followed by Fine and Studio Arts with 25 graduates, Graphic Communications, Film/Video and Photographic Arts, and Medical Design and Applied Arts and Computer and Information Sciences. Across 0 ranked programs serving roughly 125 students annually, earnings outcomes reflect the institution's focus on creative fields where four-year post-graduation income varies by specialization and market positioning. The earnings pattern across Cleveland Institute of Art's programs shows meaningful variation by discipline. Design and Applied Arts leads with median 4-year earnings of $47,147 among 65 graduates, while Fine and Studio Arts graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $33,253. The range reflects how creative-field outcomes depend on specialization, market demand, and career trajectory — with some disciplines supporting earlier financial stability than others. Design and Applied Arts graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $47,147, and Fine and Studio Arts graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $33,253, positioning these largest cohorts in the institution's earnings distribution. Cleveland Institute of Art's program mix anchors in Visual & Performing Arts, a portfolio designed to prepare students for careers in creative industries, design, and cultural institutions. Many of these programs are direct-to-workforce pathways where graduates enter creative markets, freelance networks, and cultural organizations immediately after completion. The supply and demand for college graduates provides context for how creative-field specializations align with labor-market demand and career sustainability in arts-adjacent sectors.
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Cleveland Institute of Art earn median 4-year earnings of $41,829, placing the institution in the 1.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $20,660 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Cleveland Institute of Art in the 5.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Cleveland Institute of Art #1404 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Cleveland Institute of Art's concentrated focus on visual and performing arts. Design and Applied Arts is the largest program with 65 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $47,147, representing 0.9x the national benchmark for the field. The Fine and Studio Arts program graduates 25 students with median 4-year earnings of $33,253, at 0.8x the CIP benchmark. Graphic Communications and Film/Video and Photographic Arts round out the core program portfolio, each enrolling 16 and 11 graduates respectively. As a specialized arts institution, Cleveland Institute of Art channels students into creative and design-adjacent careers where earnings reflect both artistic skill development and the regional labor market for creative professionals in the Cleveland area.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
