by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Jewelry Arts involves the study of Jewelry Arts. A Program That Prepares Individuals Creatively And Technically To Express Emotions, Ideas, Or Inner Visions By Fashioning Jewelry From Gems, Other Stones, And Precious Metals. Includes Instruction In Design Concepts, Electroforming, Enameling, Gemology, Lapidary Technique And Art, Metal And Non-Metal Casting And Molding, Metal Coloring, Metalsmithing And Finishing, Personal Style Development, Photo Etching, And Stone Cutting And Polishing. Continue reading for the key facts every jewelry arts major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering jewelry arts programs.
Nationwide, jewelry arts is a widely-pursued major, with 483 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Jewelry Arts Schools ranking analyzes these 22 schools to determine the best overall colleges for jewelry arts students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of jewelry arts programs later in this article.
Coursework for Jewelry Arts emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations jewelry arts graduates commonly enter.
Skills emphasized by a jewelry arts program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a jewelry arts major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several jewelry arts 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 7 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 26 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 36 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 301 |
People currently working in careers related to jewelry arts tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 25.5% |
| Master’s degree | 19.0% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 13.7% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 12.3% |
| Doctoral degree | 11.9% |
| Some college courses | 6.2% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 5.2% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 3.6% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2.2% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.6% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in jewelry arts careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
A degree in jewelry arts opens doors to a variety of career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to jewelry arts.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to jewelry arts.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,074,154 | 9.1% |
| Gem and Diamond Workers | 797,991 | 3.9% |
| Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers | 486,359 | -1.5% |
| Craft Artists | 402,867 | 5.7% |
The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of jewelry arts graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $25,613 |
| 4 years | $36,289 |
| 5 years | $41,536 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for jewelry arts graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers jewelry arts grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Craft Artists | $76,826 |
| Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers | $67,147 |
| Gem and Diamond Workers | $66,671 |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | $46,983 |
With 22 different jewelry arts programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased jewelry arts school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in jewelry arts, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Art/Art Studies, General | 18,711 |
| Fine/Studio Arts, General | 12,013 |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 3,557 |
| Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other | 751 |
| Intermedia/Multimedia | 732 |
| Painting | 607 |
| Drawing | 254 |
| Sculpture | 235 |
| Printmaking | 154 |
| Ceramic Arts and Ceramics | 153 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
