Bachelor's · Aurora, Illinois
Is Design and Applied Arts at Aurora University 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
- $35,797
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- Not enough graduates to report
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $21,500
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $82k (likely $82k – $97k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- −$2k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in IL
- 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
- −$279k (likely −$357k – −$198k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$294k (likely −$448k – −$126k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 61%
- 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 Aurora University
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral)$136,318
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$90,089
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)$84,022
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's)$83,746
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$81,740
- Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's)$77,436
- Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's)$76,260
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$74,820
- Social Work (Doctoral)$74,621
- Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's)$73,726
- Public Administration (Master's)$69,823
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's)$67,283
Design and Applied Arts at other schools in Illinois
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$65,186
- Illinois State University$61,628
- Southern Illinois University-Carbondale$61,493
- Bradley University$60,888
- Loyola University Chicago$59,928
- University of Illinois Chicago$59,188
- North Central College$57,192
- DePaul University$55,213
- Columbia College Chicago$48,601
- Dominican University$47,930