Bachelor's · Magnolia, Arkansas
Is Design and Applied Arts at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus worth it?
Low confidence Low confidence: fewer than 40 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Graduates typically don't earn back the cost within 20 years, compared with the no-degree baseline.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $31,704
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $36,143
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- Not enough borrowers to report
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $68k (likely $68k – $89k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $593 a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in AR
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- Not within 20 years in most scenarios
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$232k (likely −$313k – −$148k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$202k (likely −$342k – −$23k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 46%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Change income, residency or loans Compare Design and Applied Arts at other schools
Other majors at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus
- Physics (Bachelor's)$89,685
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$83,587
- Engineering, General (Bachelor's)$73,682
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)$70,185
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's)$62,260
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$60,952
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's)$58,663
- Agricultural Business and Management (Bachelor's)$55,787
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's)$52,584
- Education, General (Master's)$49,737
- Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's)$49,718
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's)$49,419
Design and Applied Arts at other schools in Arkansas
- University of Arkansas$65,780
- Harding University$60,567
- University of Central Arkansas$51,050
- John Brown University$47,248
- University of Arkansas-Fort Smith$41,801
- Arkansas State University$39,897
- Arkansas Tech University$32,960