by our College Data Analytics TeamA degree in General Arts, Entertainment, & Media Management covers Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management, General. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Organize And Manage Various Aspects Of The Visual Arts, Performing Arts, And Entertainment Media Industries. Includes Instruction In Business And Financial Management, Marketing And Fund-Raising, Labor Relations For The Arts, Event Promotion And Management, Product And Artist Management, And Applicable Law. Examples: [Entertainment Business], [Performing Arts Administration]. Read on to learn the essential details every general arts, entertainment, & media management major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering general arts, entertainment, & media management programs.
In the U.S., general arts, entertainment, & media management is a popular field of study, with 982 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best General Arts, Entertainment, & Media Management Schools ranking analyzes these 69 schools to determine the best overall colleges for general arts, entertainment, & media management students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of general arts, entertainment, & media management programs later in this article.
Studies in General Arts, Entertainment, & Media Management emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations general arts, entertainment, & media management graduates commonly enter.
Skills built by a general arts, entertainment, & media management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a general arts, entertainment, & media management major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several general arts, entertainment, & media management degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 17 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 612 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 349 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 4 |
People currently working in careers related to general arts, entertainment, & media management tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 38.7% |
| Master’s degree | 27.6% |
| Doctoral degree | 14.2% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 7.1% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 5.3% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 2.3% |
| Some college courses | 2.0% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.7% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.9% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 0.1% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in general arts, entertainment, & media management careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
A degree in general arts, entertainment, & media management prepares you for many career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to general arts, entertainment, & media management.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to general arts, entertainment, & media management.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,074,154 | 9.1% |
| Managers, All Other | 468,025 | 6.2% |
| Compliance Managers | 310,203 | 13.0% |
| Loss Prevention Managers | 265,210 | 2.2% |
| Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes | 241,360 | 10.8% |
| Regulatory Affairs Managers | 206,415 | 9.9% |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | 128,884 | 5.2% |
| Wind Energy Development Managers | 107,541 | 10.1% |
The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of general arts, entertainment, & media management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $30,449 |
| 4 years | $42,732 |
| 5 years | $47,703 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for general arts, entertainment, & media management graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers general arts, entertainment, & media management grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Wind Energy Development Managers | $169,952 |
| Loss Prevention Managers | $165,723 |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | $122,567 |
| Compliance Managers | $117,178 |
| Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | $99,321 |
| Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes | $96,762 |
| Managers, All Other | $95,684 |
| Regulatory Affairs Managers | $77,828 |
With 69 different general arts, entertainment, & media management programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased general arts, entertainment, & media management school rankings to help you.
Those considering general arts, entertainment, & media management, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Music Management | 1,866 |
| Fine and Studio Arts Management | 930 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, Other | 432 |
| Theatre/Theatre Arts Management | 220 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
