Thinking About a Creative Degree? Here's What to Consider
If you enjoy drawing, designing, styling, or making films, studying a creative subject may feel like a natural next step. Yet deciding what to study also raises practical questions. What careers could it lead to? Will you be able to earn a living? And how do you choose a program that helps you prepare for working life?
These are reasonable questions for students and parents alike. “Follow your passion” offers little guidance on its own, but dismissing creative study as an uncertain choice overlooks the range of careers it can lead to. A more useful starting point is to understand the opportunities, the challenges, and what a creative education can offer.
This article explores what research tells us about creative careers, why graduate outcomes vary, and what to look for when choosing a creative degree—from practical skills and portfolio development to industry experience and business knowledge.
The Honest Answer Starts with the Numbers
Can a creative degree lead to a good living? UK research offers a mixed picture. The Institute for Fiscal Studies found that degrees generally increased net lifetime earnings, but average financial returns for creative arts graduates were low or negative, depending on gender (Britton et al., 2020). Other research highlighted difficulties entering creative occupations and low financial rewards (Comunian et al., 2010).
But averages do not tell the whole story. Career outcomes differed across creative disciplines (Comunian et al., 2011), and UK findings do not directly predict earnings in Indonesia. For students and families, the next step is to examine what a program offers: the skills, portfolio, and experience students can build. How will it help you prepare for a creative career?
The Creative Economy Is Bigger Than Most People Think
Graduate earnings are one part of the picture. Another is the scale of the creative economy these graduates are entering. UNESCO’s 2022 report estimated that culture and creativity accounted for 3.1% of global GDP and 6.2% of employment. UNCTAD’s Creative Economy Outlook 2024 also highlighted the sector’s contribution to trade, growth, and jobs, although its size varies across countries (UNESCO, 2022; UNCTAD, 2024).
In Indonesia, the numbers bring that scale closer to home. According to BPS data reported by the Ministry of Creative Economy, the sector contributed Rp1,611.2 trillion, or 7.28% of national GDP, in 2024. It grew by 6.57%, outpacing national economic growth of 5.03%. Employment reached 27.4 million people in 2025 (Kementerian Ekonomi Kreatif, 2025b).
Fashion, culinary arts, crafts, design, film, games, advertising, and digital content all form part of this economy. For students considering a creative degree, this offers useful perspective: their interests connect to industries that generate income, support businesses, and employ millions of people.
Design Is Now a Business Tool
The creative economy’s value also extends into how businesses operate. Design helps companies understand customers, improve products, and develop better services. McKinsey tracked 300 publicly listed companies over five years and found that those in the top quarter of its Design Index outperformed industry benchmarks: revenue growth was 32 percentage points higher, while growth in total shareholder returns was 56 percentage points higher (Sheppard et al., 2018). The study linked strong performance to practices such as prioritizing user experience, working across departments, and continuously testing ideas.
The UK offers another illustration of design’s economic reach. The Design Council’s 2026 research found that the design economy generated £136.7 billion in gross value added in 2023, up 40% from 2019. Its workforce reached 2.27 million people in 2025 (Design Council, 2026).
For students, where designers work is just as revealing: around 80% work outside traditional design industries (Design Council, 2026). A design education can therefore open paths beyond a design studio, helping students develop skills relevant to organizations that want to understand people and solve practical problems. But as AI changes how businesses approach design, what might these opportunities look like for future graduates?
Can Creative Work Survive Automation?
If AI can generate images, layouts, and text in seconds, is creative study still worth considering? It is a reasonable question. McKinsey estimated that activities accounting for up to 30% of US working hours could be automated by 2030, with generative AI accelerating the shift (Ellingrud et al., 2023). That is a projection about tasks—not a prediction that 30% of jobs will disappear.
Yet employers still value creative thinking. The World Economic Forum’s 2025 report identifies it, alongside analytical thinking and resilience, as a core skill expected to grow in importance through 2030 (World Economic Forum, 2025). For students, the practical takeaway is to develop ideas, judgment, and an understanding of people while learning to use new tools. These are useful qualities to look for in a creative program.
When a Creative Degree Pays Off
As creative work changes, what should students look for in a program? These six factors offer a practical starting point:
Real expertise, not just enthusiasm. Creativity draws on expertise, creative thinking, and motivation (Amabile, 1998). Look for a program that develops technical skills and challenges students to explore and refine their ideas.
A portfolio built on real briefs. Projects, professional feedback, and opportunities to present work can help students build a portfolio that shows both their ideas and how they solve problems.
Early contact with industry. Internships, industry projects, and professional mentors can help students understand workplace expectations before graduation.
Business literacy. Understanding budgets, branding, clients, and markets helps students connect creative ideas with practical business needs.
The right place and the right network. Ask how a program connects students with practitioners, employers, and creative communities—and what opportunities students can actually access.
The habit of adapting. Look for opportunities to experiment, respond to feedback, and learn new tools. Preparation for a creative career includes developing the confidence to keep learning.
What a Strong Creative Education Looks Like
A strong creative education brings together practical skills, industry experience, business knowledge, and opportunities to build professional connections. At Raffles Jakarta, students learn from International Creative Practitioners with backgrounds in design, fashion, and business, bringing professional perspectives into the classroom.
Through its Centre of Professional Development, Raffles Career Development supports connections between study and industry through projects, industrial attachments, industry research, and career development. Students can explore programs including Fashion Design, Interior Design, Visual Communication Design, Digital Media Design, and Fashion Marketing & Management, depending on their interests and goals.
Raffles Jakarta is also part of the Raffles Education network, which spans 13 institutions in 11 cities across eight countries. For prospective students, the next step is to explore how these resources relate to their chosen program: meet the lecturers, review student work, and ask about industry projects and career support. These conversations can help you decide whether the learning experience fits your ambitions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do creative graduates earn less than other graduates?
UK research shows lower average financial returns for creative arts degrees than for subjects such as medicine, law, and economics. However, outcomes vary, and these findings do not directly predict what a graduate in Indonesia will earn.
Is the creative economy important in Indonesia?
Yes. It contributed Rp1,611.2 trillion, or 7.28% of national GDP, in 2024, growing faster than the national economy. Employment in the sector reached 27.4 million people in 2025.
Will AI replace designers and other creative workers?
AI can automate some tasks and change how creative work is done, but automating tasks does not necessarily mean replacing entire jobs. Creative thinking remains a skill employers expect to grow in importance through 2030.
Can creativity really be learned?
Yes. Creative thinking can be developed through practice and education. Exploring ideas, testing different approaches, and learning from feedback give students opportunities to develop it.
Where do designers work?
Designers work both within design businesses and across other industries. The Design Council’s 2026 research found that around 80% of UK designers work outside traditional design industries.
When can I begin at Raffles Jakarta?
Raffles Jakarta offers four intakes a year: January, April, July, and October. Applications for the January 2027 intake are now open. Explore the January 2027 intake page or contact admissions to confirm availability for your chosen program.
Choosing a creative degree means considering both your interests and how a program can help you develop. Look closely at the skills, industry experience, and support available—and ask how they connect to your goals.
Ready to explore your options? Applications are now open for the January 2027 intake at Raffles Jakarta, with programs in fashion, design, business, technology and AI, and psychology. Speak with our admissions team to find out which program could suit you.
Your creativity is a starting point. Take the next step towards developing it into professional skills.
Integrated Digital Marketing Executive
