Bachelor's · Visual and Performing Arts

Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's): earnings by school

354 schools report graduate earnings for this major.

Median across schools, 1 year out
$39,170
Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Median across schools, 4 years out
$52,650
Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical debt
$23,892
NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort

Across 302 schools reporting 4-year earnings, the middle half of programs pay graduates between $44,962 and $60,546. The school matters less than you might think for this major.

Schools, highest earnings first

School1 year4 yearsDebt
Carnegie Mellon University PA$91,413$138,588$21,000
Lawrence Technological University MI$62,595$99,444$27,000
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus GA—$95,697—
University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA$51,789$89,193$15,000
University of Southern California CA$52,814$89,022$18,250
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY$34,202$87,358$25,500
Northeastern University Oakland CA$61,815$87,336$19,500
Northeastern University MA$61,815$87,336$19,500
University of Notre Dame IN$56,560$83,414$19,750
Chapman University CA$52,532$78,121$16,000
Art Center College of Design CA$45,205$76,093$26,875
University of Redlands CA$33,412$75,374$27,000
Florida State University FL$51,865$73,888—
Boston University MA$40,940$72,809$17,500
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VA$58,660$72,213$22,000
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus OH$55,676$71,605$18,775
Syracuse University NY$47,057$71,527$23,571
The University of Texas at Austin TX$54,776$69,846$22,250
Western Washington University WA$42,687$69,715$19,500
University of Denver CO$46,741$69,251$20,500
Washington State University WA$55,593$69,224$19,107
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville TN$44,167$69,047—
Laguna College of Art and Design CA$44,069$68,934$26,625
Seattle Pacific University WA$43,835$68,547$21,917
Texas Christian University TX$55,168$68,313$27,000
Wentworth Institute of Technology MA$57,393$68,160$20,750
Ohio State University-Main Campus OH$52,497$68,151$21,420
Miami University-Oxford OH$53,973$67,981$20,500
Bellevue College WA—$67,797—
Washington University in St Louis MO$63,377$67,771$16,750
Rhode Island School of Design RI$27,941$67,771$27,000
University of Delaware DE$46,376$67,742$23,250
Interior Designers Institute CA$43,308$67,473—
University of Dayton OH$48,920$66,679$20,000
New Jersey Institute of Technology NJ$45,853$66,488$20,000
California State University-Long Beach CA$48,917$66,435$18,897
University of California-Santa Cruz CA—$66,333—
Drexel University PA$50,567$66,294$25,923
University of California-Los Angeles CA$49,377$66,259$14,000
Clemson University SC$52,318$66,150$20,500
Marist University NY$51,543$66,010$25,500
University of Wisconsin-Madison WI$53,850$65,874—
University of Arkansas AR$50,778$65,780$26,500
University of Florida FL$50,328$65,656$15,180
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus OK$50,505$65,646$25,000
University of Oregon OR$42,631$65,573$18,500
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL$46,592$65,186$15,600
University of Houston TX$45,608$64,612—
Endicott College MA$51,394$64,559$27,000
Utah State University UT—$64,175—
St. John's University-New York NY$39,933$63,659—
Emmanuel College MA—$63,616—
Baylor University TX$51,727$63,522$22,500
University of Kentucky KY$52,254$62,966$26,750
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN$49,401$62,414$20,500
Weber State University UT$48,473$62,281—
University of California-Davis CA$38,255$62,209$12,592
Woodbury University CA—$62,092$27,000
East Texas A&M University TX$39,298$61,748—
Franklin University OH$44,300$61,736—
Metropolitan State University of Denver CO$44,916$61,654$15,939
High Point University NC$45,851$61,635$25,995
Illinois State University IL$45,860$61,628$17,575
Auburn University AL$51,089$61,609$24,875
Texas State University TX$46,898$61,539$21,500
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale IL—$61,493—
Quinnipiac University CT$33,611$61,419$25,000
North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC$43,682$61,382$20,500
College for Creative Studies MI$41,406$61,222$25,000
Kansas State University KS$53,446$61,150—
Southern Methodist University TX$60,893—$14,000
Bradley University IL$35,887$60,888$27,000
Fashion Institute of Technology NY$43,249$60,882$21,500
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga TN—$60,807$18,500
Temple University PA$47,578$60,782$26,976
Harding University AR$37,709$60,567—
The University of Alabama AL$50,972$60,546$25,000
Oregon State University OR$45,925$60,434$20,500
Oregon State University-Cascades Campus OR$45,925$60,434$20,500
Suffolk University MA$38,882$60,159$27,000
Loyola University Chicago IL—$59,928—
Pratt Institute-Main NY$39,579$59,792$25,000
Thomas Jefferson University PA$47,331$59,731$26,000
San Francisco State University CA$43,685$59,678$15,000
California State University-Northridge CA$38,152$59,676$13,000
Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ$44,918$59,641$19,500
Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ$44,918$59,641$19,500
Susquehanna University PA$37,592$59,551$27,000
University of Kansas KS$40,564$59,441$21,250
California College of the Arts CA$46,636$59,238$24,812
University of Illinois Chicago IL$36,913$59,188$20,500
Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi TX$59,050—$24,867
Purdue University-Main Campus IN$51,456$58,917$22,500
Drake University IA$33,633$58,834—
Western Michigan University MI$39,817$58,634$27,000
Western Carolina University NC$41,982$58,467$25,500
Belmont University TN$42,318$58,314$20,875
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona PA$41,905$58,105$22,648
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA$41,905$58,105$22,648
LIM College NY$41,029$58,061$28,250
University of North Texas TX$46,011$57,753$19,199
Point Loma Nazarene University CA—$57,740—
University of Wisconsin-Stout WI$45,619$57,718$22,750
North Dakota State University-Main Campus ND$46,393$57,663$27,000
Indiana University-Indianapolis IN$57,448—$19,500
Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ$42,523$57,313$20,383
East Carolina University NC—$57,255$22,500
Central Connecticut State University CT$39,430$57,214$20,630
North Central College IL$44,178$57,192$26,898
Sam Houston State University TX$45,200$57,019$21,500
Oklahoma Christian University OK$37,300$56,958$25,991
The New School NY$35,974$56,838$25,000
Kean University NJ$47,591$56,666$23,950
Kent State University at Kent OH$44,403$56,540$25,000
Montclair State University NJ$37,032$56,176$20,500
Portland State University OR$43,283$56,158$19,500
Otis College of Art and Design CA$38,585$55,891$27,000
Radford University VA$36,461$55,856$27,000
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona CA$35,807$55,744$14,987
Utah Valley University UT$39,259$55,728$17,500
West Virginia University WV$43,085$55,669$23,979
Marymount University VA$50,491$55,646$25,000
George Washington University DC$55,439—$19,250
Stevenson University MD$34,687$55,419$25,000
University of North Carolina at Greensboro NC$40,566$55,394$20,562
DePaul University IL$36,812$55,213$24,049
University of South Florida FL$33,938$54,770—
Mercy University NY—$54,725—
Bemidji State University MN$37,810$54,642$27,000
Indiana University-Bloomington IN$34,635$54,630$19,500
San Diego State University CA$37,926$54,569$15,000
Champlain College VT$35,421$54,561$25,000
Saint Edward's University TX$39,898$54,297$25,000
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus OH$44,926$54,274$24,957
Central Michigan University MI$41,205$54,254$25,512
Winthrop University SC$39,751$54,194$27,000
Walla Walla University WA$42,982$54,035—
University of Central Oklahoma OK$43,917$53,927$26,397
Farmingdale State College NY$40,087$53,896$14,625
California State University-Sacramento CA$42,779$53,871$14,987
Pennsylvania College of Technology PA$48,069$53,796$27,000
Virginia Commonwealth University VA$34,780$53,575$21,742
Appalachian State University NC$42,862$53,543$20,500
Ball State University IN$45,159$53,514$21,462
Georgia Southern University GA$42,129$53,396$24,750
University of Maryland-Baltimore County MD$31,679$53,363—
Sullivan University KY—$53,354—
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania PA$43,024$53,312$26,000
Michigan State University MI$42,052$53,250$18,500
Seattle University WA$35,066$53,117$20,416
Brigham Young University UT$49,597$52,929—
Queens University of Charlotte NC$43,369$52,870—
University of Minnesota-Duluth MN$39,399$52,727$25,095
Northern Kentucky University KY$36,074$52,703—
Iowa State University IA$45,054$52,671$25,490
South Dakota State University SD$47,339$52,630$25,959
CUNY New York City College of Technology NY$27,849$52,562$14,167
Indiana University of Pennsylvania PA$38,625$52,359$25,375
York College of Pennsylvania PA$41,398$52,222—
Dunwoody College of Technology MN$52,219—$27,000
Maryville University of Saint Louis MO$45,478$52,185$19,750
Rochester Institute of Technology NY$42,257$52,043$27,000
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth MA$32,514$51,857$26,000
Cedarville University OH$40,799$51,813$19,668
Seminole State College of Florida FL$46,944$51,719$13,831
Design Institute of San Diego CA$51,714—$36,750
University of Hartford CT$26,060$51,607$26,798
Seton Hall University NJ—$51,509$26,536
Albright College PA$33,785$51,507$25,000
Russell Sage College NY$41,589$51,485$18,375
University of Nevada-Las Vegas NV$39,080$51,437$12,500
Rider University NJ—$51,406$23,375
Southern New Hampshire University NH$41,693$51,370$19,292
Grace College and Theological Seminary IN—$51,338—
University of Central Arkansas AR$36,835$51,050$23,500
Missouri State University-Springfield MO$35,771$50,814$24,250
Centenary University NJ—$50,746—
Ferris State University MI$40,985$50,658$23,250
Keene State College NH$36,830$50,507$26,452
University of Akron Main Campus OH$38,276$50,484$19,500
Middle Tennessee State University TN$44,592$50,184—
Mount Mary University WI$40,780$49,881—
Abilene Christian University TX$47,984$49,818—
University of San Francisco CA$33,966$49,788$23,000
Ohio University-Eastern Campus OH$37,181$49,553—
Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus OH$37,181$49,553—
Ohio University-Southern Campus OH$37,181$49,553—
Ohio University-Lancaster Campus OH$37,181$49,553—
Ohio University-Main Campus OH$37,181$49,553—
Ohio University-Zanesville Campus OH$37,181$49,553—
Stephen F Austin State University TX$49,259——
Minnesota State University Moorhead MN$47,338$48,976$27,000
Northern Arizona University AZ$40,942$48,764$15,990
California State University-Monterey Bay CA$34,549$48,639$13,500
Bellevue University NE$39,920$48,632$19,367
Columbia College Chicago IL$38,905$48,601$25,000
University of the Incarnate Word TX$33,835$48,472$29,063
Carthage College WI$37,969$48,431—
California State University-Dominguez Hills CA$35,182$48,430$15,000
Marymount Manhattan College NY—$48,393—
Villa Maria College NY—$48,379—
Columbus College of Art & Design OH$31,765$48,204$26,000
Park University MO—$48,105$22,500
University of Bridgeport CT$41,871$47,973—
Ringling College of Art and Design FL$27,554$47,937$27,000
Dominican University IL—$47,930—
Liberty University VA$35,080$47,797$20,923
University of Northern Iowa IA$44,983$47,736$22,500
Millersville University of Pennsylvania PA$47,578—$20,500
California Baptist University CA$31,785$47,494$24,217
Oakland University MI$35,895$47,432$22,500
John Brown University AR$27,112$47,248$25,075
The University of Texas at Dallas TX$37,567$47,186—
Cleveland Institute of Art OH$32,949$47,147$27,000
Flagler College FL$33,933$46,921$24,000
Cleveland State University OH$37,111$46,635$24,875
Rasmussen University-Florida FL$34,182$46,610$33,762
Rasmussen University-Minnesota MN$34,182$46,610$33,762
Rasmussen University-North Dakota ND$34,182$46,610$33,762
Rasmussen University-Illinois IL$34,182$46,610$33,762
Rasmussen University-Wisconsin WI$34,182$46,610$33,762
Rasmussen University-Kansas KS$34,182$46,610$33,762
Stonehill College MA$46,487——
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point WI$42,966$46,377$21,500
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay WI$37,560$46,376$16,312
Lamar University TX—$46,341—
North Carolina A & T State University NC—$46,077$29,000
Longwood University VA—$46,040—
Saint Cloud State University MN—$45,990$21,000
Savannah College of Art and Design GA$31,174$45,923$23,833
Massachusetts College of Art and Design MA$32,893$45,716$22,509
Lewis University IL—$45,704—
Maryland Institute College of Art MD$27,718$45,436$23,750
Mercyhurst University PA$44,671$45,411$27,000
Lesley University MA$34,093$45,099$23,291
Monmouth University NJ$45,028—$21,500
Full Sail University FL$36,655$44,962$34,822
State University of New York at Oswego NY$37,317$44,939—
Willamette University OR$34,592$44,870$22,799
Grand Canyon University AZ$44,856—$23,517
CUNY Queens College NY$34,278$44,835$8,390
California State University-Chico CA$32,019$44,629$14,937
University of Northwestern-St Paul MN—$44,628—
Edgewood University WI—$44,540—
Berkeley College-Woodland Park NJ$34,548$44,538$28,908
Prairie View A & M University TX$44,394——
Purdue University Fort Wayne IN$35,523$44,227—
Anderson University SC—$44,221—
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design WI$36,219$43,944$27,000
New England Institute of Technology RI$33,344$43,886$27,000
Robert Morris University PA$31,673$43,698—
Southern Utah University UT$43,286——
SUNY at Fredonia NY$21,360$43,087$26,030
Kansas City Art Institute MO$27,969$43,070$27,000
Fitchburg State University MA$31,537$42,946$25,500
University of Louisiana at Lafayette LA$35,851$42,867—
Samford University AL$42,854—$25,168
Converse University SC$42,849——
University of Central Missouri MO$35,302$42,778$23,995
University of North Georgia GA—$42,675—
Nazareth University NY$33,334$42,615—
University of Massachusetts-Lowell MA$42,585—$27,000
Boise State University ID$38,300$42,527$20,859
California State University-San Bernardino CA$37,103$42,468—
Art Academy of Cincinnati OH$27,072$42,224$26,000
New England College NH$27,890$42,056$27,000
Grand View University IA—$41,944—
Newschool of Architecture and Design CA$41,940——
Charleston Southern University SC$35,274$41,925$22,872
Saginaw Valley State University MI$32,182$41,864$21,250
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith AR$41,801——
Missouri Western State University MO$26,881$41,728—
Northwest Nazarene University ID—$41,719—
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design CO$38,282$41,617$35,519
Dallas Baptist University TX$41,542——
Louisiana Tech University LA$36,193$41,534$25,860
Concordia University-Saint Paul MN$41,466——
East Tennessee State University TN$39,364$41,449$16,750
Upper Iowa University IA$37,215$41,109$21,500
SUNY Buffalo State University NY$40,887—$25,484
Pennsylvania Western University PA$35,336$40,854$23,750
William Peace University NC$26,522$40,817$21,500
Elmhurst University IL$40,698—$16,499
Mount Vernon Nazarene University OH—$40,641—
University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne IN$35,749$40,619—
Roger Williams University RI$40,444—$27,000
George Fox University OR$40,440—$19,500
University of Wisconsin-Parkside WI$30,289$40,410—
Webster University MO$35,109$40,397$24,843
Stevens-The Institute of Business & Arts MO—$40,288—
Coastal Carolina University SC$31,897$40,150$23,125
University of Nebraska-Lincoln NE$39,981—$21,500
Arkansas State University AR$34,965$39,897—
Shawnee State University OH—$39,821—
Wayne State College NE—$39,701—
Minneapolis College of Art and Design MN$34,544$39,467$27,000
Maine College of Art & Design ME$23,530$39,443$26,000
The University of Texas at Arlington TX$39,387——
Mississippi Christian University MS$34,401$39,178—
University of Advancing Technology AZ$34,336$38,996$34,000

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