Look what you
can do with a
degree in the arts!
Survey of alumni in the arts
In 2015 we participated in the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP) survey of alumni in the arts. This survey has compiled data on the jobs, income and artistic life of over 150,000 arts alumni nationwide. Our participation in this survey has given us not only information about our alumni, but has also allowed us to compare how our graduates are doing with the graduates of some of the major arts programs in the country. We surveyed students in music, theatre, the visual arts, creative writing and film. We found that our outcomes were as good as or better than graduates of such well-known schools as the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), the School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and the School of Visual Art, New York City; and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, the University of North Texas, St. Olaf College, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, among many others.
Adjusted sample size: 795, response rate: 30%
Our Alumni
93% had a positive experience at Messiah.
77% found work within four months of graduation or pursued further education.
95% found work within a year after graduation or pursued further education.
75% found work related to their major, or pursued further education. Of those who intended to work as professional artists, 96% have done so, and 70% currently do.
Where did we do better than our comparison groups?
Our students report significantly higher opportunities to make, perform or exhibit art.
Our alumni reported stronger training in several areas of general education, including breadth of education, creative thinking, research skills, writing, project management skills and leadership skills.
Stephanie Fieger ’02
actor, “Macbeth”
Lincoln Center Theater
Our alumni also reported higher levels of community service, study abroad, internships and co-curricular activities.
83% say they are satisfied with their current job, much higher than in other fields.
More of our graduates felt that their work contributed to the greater good and that it reflected their interests and values.
In fact, 80% indicated that their work reflected their interests and values.
82% felt their work contributed to the greater good.