Field of study · CIP 50.04
Design and Applied Arts
Offered at 1,513 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 369 | $34,776 | $35,238 | $13,275 |
| Associate | 418 | $33,406 | $38,728 | $13,500 |
| Bachelor's | 602 | $39,169 | $56,942 | $25,125 |
| Post-bacc certificate | 1 | — | — | — |
| Master's | 102 | $53,468 | $79,437 | — |
| Doctoral | 5 | — | — | — |
| Graduate certificate | 16 | — | — | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
Our read
One year after finishing, a typical certificate program in this field reports median earnings of $34,776, versus $39,169 for a typical bachelor's program.
Highest-earning certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami Ad School-Atlanta | GA | $68,051 | $100,892 | $26,770 |
| 2 | Miami Ad School | FL | $68,051 | $100,892 | $26,770 |
| 3 | Miami Ad School-New York | NY | $68,051 | $100,892 | $26,770 |
| 4 | Massachusetts College of Art and Design | MA | $51,058 | $80,626 | $21,500 |
| 5 | Gnomon | CA | $61,966 | — | $28,332 |
| 6 | Columbus State Community College | OH | $45,053 | $60,246 | $12,079 |
| 7 | Front Range Community College | CO | — | $53,904 | $15,055 |
| 8 | Sessions College | AZ | $34,776 | $51,261 | $12,125 |
| 9 | Century College | MN | $45,475 | $49,622 | $14,830 |
| 10 | Minneapolis Community and Technical College | MN | $47,612 | — | — |
| 11 | Wake Technical Community College | NC | $34,163 | $44,524 | $14,375 |
| 12 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | — | $43,537 | — |
| 13 | Central Piedmont Community College | NC | $28,742 | $41,583 | — |
| 14 | Los Angeles Trade Technical College | CA | — | $37,632 | — |
| 15 | Western Iowa Tech Community College | IA | — | $35,821 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning associate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The New School | NY | $62,840 | $66,393 | $16,682 |
| 2 | Dunwoody College of Technology | MN | $37,337 | $56,662 | — |
| 3 | Interior Designers Institute | CA | — | $53,464 | — |
| 4 | Dakota County Technical College | MN | — | $53,275 | $12,998 |
| 5 | County College of Morris | NJ | — | $52,583 | — |
| 6 | Mt San Antonio College | CA | — | $52,556 | — |
| 7 | Arapahoe Community College | CO | $39,058 | $52,306 | $16,781 |
| 8 | Central Piedmont Community College | NC | $31,367 | $52,195 | $10,500 |
| 9 | Anne Arundel Community College | MD | — | $51,588 | — |
| 10 | Fashion Institute of Technology | NY | $34,900 | $51,548 | $12,000 |
| 11 | Waukesha County Technical College | WI | $38,026 | $50,481 | $10,209 |
| 12 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | OH | $31,288 | $50,170 | — |
| 13 | University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash College | OH | $31,288 | $50,170 | — |
| 14 | Seminole State College of Florida | FL | — | $49,785 | $14,781 |
| 15 | Front Range Community College | CO | — | $49,289 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | $91,413 | $131,766 | $21,000 |
| 2 | Lawrence Technological University | MI | $62,595 | $104,334 | $27,000 |
| 3 | University of Southern California | CA | $52,814 | $98,665 | $20,500 |
| 4 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | GA | — | $97,685 | — |
| 5 | University of California-Irvine | CA | — | $96,310 | — |
| 6 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | NY | $34,202 | $92,751 | $25,500 |
| 7 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | $54,776 | $91,886 | $23,000 |
| 8 | University of Notre Dame | IN | $56,560 | $87,708 | $19,750 |
| 9 | Boston University | MA | $40,940 | $85,103 | $17,000 |
| 10 | San Jose State University | CA | — | $84,869 | $11,796 |
| 11 | University of Delaware | DE | $46,376 | $83,688 | $23,250 |
| 12 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | $51,789 | $83,000 | $15,000 |
| 13 | Art Center College of Design | CA | $45,205 | $81,862 | $27,625 |
| 14 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | VA | $58,660 | $79,888 | $23,000 |
| 15 | Miami University-Oxford | OH | $53,973 | $79,675 | $21,363 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning post-bacc certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | OH | $65,830 | — | $18,474 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California College of the Arts | CA | — | $172,409 | — |
| 2 | Illinois Institute of Technology | IL | — | $147,631 | — |
| 3 | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | — | $140,056 | — |
| 4 | Rhode Island School of Design | RI | — | $122,642 | — |
| 5 | Maryland Institute College of Art | MD | $89,986 | $98,068 | — |
| 6 | The New School | NY | — | $96,014 | — |
| 7 | School of Visual Arts | NY | $33,775 | $85,267 | — |
| 8 | George Washington University | DC | — | $82,945 | — |
| 9 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | — | $80,386 | — |
| 10 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion | AZ | — | $80,386 | — |
| 11 | Pratt Institute-Main | NY | $69,098 | $78,488 | — |
| 12 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | NC | $58,079 | $76,644 | — |
| 13 | Drexel University | PA | — | $74,708 | — |
| 14 | University of Baltimore | MD | — | $72,832 | — |
| 15 | Norwich University | VT | — | $70,227 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $44,104MusicBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $46,274Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $43,013DanceBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $43,758Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $45,518Film/Video and Photographic ArtsBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $48,122Arts, Entertainment, and Media ManagementBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $50,621Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and ArtisanryBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings —
Quick answers
- How much do design and applied arts graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in design and applied arts reports median earnings of $39,169. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
