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Digital Arts & Photography
What you'll do in college
You will be trapped in front of glowing rectangles, praying to the render gods that your 48-hour export doesn't crash at 99%.
You'll straddle the line between artist and computer scientist, learning modeling software, game engines, and coding alongside color theory and storyboarding.
What you'll do after college
You are heading for the entertainment or tech industry. Grads are scooped up by Pixar, Disney, EA, tech startups, and VFX houses. The work is highly collaborative and often project-based.
Burnout is a risk during "crunch times," but the pay can be incredibly lucrative, and seeing your name in the credits of a blockbuster game or movie is a unique thrill.
Famous graduates
- John Lasseter — Former CCO of Pixar and Disney Animation; B.F.A. from CalArts
- Beeple (Mike Winkelmann) — Digital artist who sold an NFT for $69M; B.S. in Computer Science from Purdue
- Tim Burton — Stop-motion auteur and director; B.F.A. from CalArts
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings
By SAT median
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings
Earnings vs. selectivity rank
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Arts & Photography | 340 | 10,430 | 40% / 60% | 9% | $49,666 |
| Digital Arts | 93 | 1,712 | 44% / 56% | 4% | $43,540 |
| Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia | 24 | 1,614 | 41% / 59% | 5% | $54,661 |
| Digital Media | 66 | 1,377 | 42% / 58% | 13% | $49,932 |
| Animation | 44 | 1,109 | 39% / 61% | 9% | $49,845 |
| Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects | 15 | 903 | 41% / 59% | 13% | $40,354 |
| Photography | 97 | 836 | 34% / 66% | 12% | $40,253 |
| Digital Communication and Media | 23 | 474 | 45% / 55% | 7% | $49,330 |
| Digital Media Production | 6 | 291 | 35% / 65% | 2% | $62,970 |
| Media Arts | 4 | 143 | 31% / 69% | 2% | $46,622 |
| Media Production | 5 | 139 | 58% / 42% | 0% | $65,226 |
| Computer Animation | 1 | 139 | 27% / 73% | 33% | $71,559 |
| Commercial and Advertising Art | 11 | 118 | 21% / 79% | 7% | $50,048 |
| Communications Design | 1 | 108 | 20% / 80% | 35% | $66,891 |
| Commercial Photography | 6 | 99 | 31% / 69% | 1% | $51,462 |
| Electronic Media | 2 | 99 | 59% / 41% | 0% | $48,159 |
| Digital Media and Design | 1 | 95 | 43% / 57% | 2% | $65,807 |
| Mass Media Arts | 1 | 84 | 25% / 75% | 0% | $42,519 |
| Digital Animation | 3 | 80 | 80% / 20% | 1% | $61,003 |
| Arts and Entertainment Technologies | 1 | 73 | 40% / 60% | 4% | $44,508 |
| Digital Audiences | 1 | 65 | 42% / 58% | 2% | |
| Digital Art and Animation | 1 | 64 | 30% / 70% | 11% | $48,969 |
| Photographic and Imaging Arts | 1 | 63 | 35% / 65% | 3% | $47,790 |
| Media Arts and Entertainment | 1 | 62 | 13% / 87% | 2% | $84,346 |
| New Media and Digital Design | 1 | 58 | 34% / 66% | 9% | |
| Interactive Media Arts | 1 | 52 | 19% / 81% | 52% | $91,031 |
| Design | Media Arts | 1 | 49 | 27% / 73% | 20% | $75,941 |
| New Media Design | 1 | 43 | 35% / 65% | 5% | |
| Creative Technologies | 1 | 37 | 81% / 19% | 0% | |
| 3D Digital Design | 1 | 34 | 59% / 41% | 9% | $72,072 |
| Interactive Media | 2 | 31 | 65% / 35% | 6% | $62,696 |
| Photography and Video Arts | 1 | 28 | 54% / 46% | 0% | $40,844 |
| Animation and Digital Arts | 1 | 25 | 20% / 80% | 24% | $49,273 |
| Interactive Media Design | 1 | 25 | 52% / 48% | 8% | |
| Media Arts and Sciences | 1 | 25 | 0% / 100% | 20% | |
| Animation and Game Design | 1 | 24 | 54% / 46% | 4% | |
| Moving-Image Production | 1 | 20 | 40% / 60% | 0% | $41,809 |
| Studio for Interrelated Media | 1 | 18 | 39% / 61% | 0% | $39,626 |
| Digital Studies | 2 | 17 | 53% / 47% | 6% | $33,579 |
| Digital Multimedia Design | 1 | 17 | 65% / 35% | 29% | |
| Drafting Technology | 2 | 16 | 81% / 19% | 6% | $78,991 |
| Visual Communication | 2 | 16 | 38% / 62% | 0% | $51,133 |
| Media Arts and Design | 1 | 16 | 38% / 62% | 6% | |
| Digital Media Design | 4 | 14 | 43% / 57% | 0% | |
| Interactive Digital Studies | 1 | 13 | 31% / 69% | 0% | $55,676 |
| Photography and Media | 1 | 12 | 58% / 42% | 42% | $31,880 |
| Interactive Digital Design | 1 | 11 | 73% / 27% | 0% | |
| Media Communications | 1 | 10 | 50% / 50% | 0% | |
| Motion Design | 1 | 9 | 11% / 89% | 0% | |
| Moving Image Arts | 1 | 8 | 38% / 62% | 12% | |
| Visual and Media Arts | 1 | 8 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $55,995 |
| Digital Media Arts | 2 | 7 | 43% / 57% | 14% | $62,696 |
| Media Communication Arts | 1 | 7 | 29% / 71% | 29% | $56,658 |
| Graphic Design and Communication | 1 | 6 | 50% / 50% | 17% | |
| Art and Technology Studies | 1 | 5 | 0% / 100% | 0% | |
| Media Informatics | 1 | 5 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Digital Media and Graphic Design | 1 | 4 | 75% / 25% | 0% | |
| Digital Arts & Sciences | 1 | 3 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Digital Literacy and Multimedia Design | 1 | 3 | 33% / 67% | 0% | |
| Multimedia | 1 | 2 | 0% / 100% | 50% | $41,558 |
| Animation and Interactive Media | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Animation and Visual Effects | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| New Media Production | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Photography and Media Arts | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Visual Communications | 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% |