Best Master’s in Art Therapy Programs

Art therapy is a fast-growing field that requires a master’s degree for entry-level roles.

Art therapy can be a helpful treatment to improve a patient’s emotional expression, self-esteem, and self-awareness. As the industry grows, more patients are understanding that art therapy isn’t just a treatment applicable to children, but to people of all ages and backgrounds.

If the idea of using art to help others heal or better themselves interests you, a career in art therapy may be right for you.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

The cost of an art therapy degree depends on three main factors:

Art therapy graduate programs at private, nonprofit institutions tend to cost more than those at public colleges and universities. Master’s degrees from for-profit institutions, meanwhile, tend to cost the least.

Across the board, master’s degree programs cost between $50,000-$85,000 for two years, on average.

Online master’s degree programs are 30% cheaper, on average, than in-person or hybrid programs.

Art therapists help people with emotional or mental health conditions, but unlike traditional therapists, they do so through artistic expression.

In a typical art therapy session patients create art, sometimes as a group, no matter their expertise or experience as an artist. The art therapist then examines the patient’s art and discusses it with them. That discussion may center on the feelings and memories the art elicits, giving the client the chance to explore emotions in a nontraditional way.

Art therapists can work in a variety of settings, including:

According to Payscale data, on average, art therapists earn just under $50,000 annually.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not specifically collect data on art therapists. However, the “therapists, all other” classification, earned a median salary of $63,650 per year as of May 2023. That’s lower than the median annual salary for therapists broadly, which was $90,400.