Which state pays design and applied arts bachelor's graduates the most?

Washington, where the median program pays its graduates $39,248 in their first year, the highest of 21 state rankings. Texas is next, at $38,553.

Which design and applied arts bachelor's program pays the most?

Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania reports the highest first-year pay of the 274 programs ranked here, $66,274. Its median federal debt is $24,500.

How much debt do design and applied arts bachelor's graduates have?

The median program leaves its graduates with $27,000 in federal debt. Across programs, the median debt is 77% of first-year pay.

Highest-Paying Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's) Programs in the US

297 programs report first-year pay
21 state rankings
Bachelor's in Design and Applied Arts

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

The median design and applied arts bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $33,536 in their first year and $50,431 five years after. Washington has the highest state median ($39,248), and Georgia the lowest ($26,331). The median program leaves its graduates with $27,000 in federal debt.

Median first-year pay$33,536Across 297 programs

Median pay after 5 years$50,431Across 275 programs

Median federal debt$27,000Across 281 programs

Debt-to-earnings77%Across 267 programs

All 274 programs, ranked by graduate pay

Each program is ranked by the median pay of its graduates one year after they finished, from College Scorecard. This measures what graduates earn, not how good the teaching is. Pay also depends on where graduates live and work. Programs that don't report a figure are listed last when you sort by it.

#	School	Year 1 pay	After cost of living	Year 5 pay	Debt	Debt to pay
1	Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA · private nonprofit	$66,274	Not adjusted	Not reported	$24,500	37%
2	USCLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	$64,846	$58,568	$79,947	$18,262	28%
3	University of WashingtonSeattle, WA · public	$63,449	$59,291	$85,351	$12,250	19%
4	UCLALos Angeles, CA · public	$57,615	$52,037	$85,813	$20,000	35%
5	Georgia TechAtlanta, GA · public	$52,694	$54,723	$91,029	$26,354	50%
6	University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH · public	$52,526	$56,617	$69,447	$25,851	49%
7	Utah StateLogan, UT · public	$52,431	$53,033	$20,542	Not reported	Not reported
8	Interior Designers InstituteNewport Beach, CA · private for-profit	$51,188	$46,232	$32,702	$28,655	56%
9	Wentworth Institute of TechnologyBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$50,599	$47,845	$67,547	$27,000	53%
10	UW-MadisonMadison, WI · public	$49,780	$52,904	$58,646	$20,875	42%
11	Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$49,727	Not adjusted	$95,088	$28,250	57%
12	Boston UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$49,254	Not adjusted	Not reported	$21,250	43%
13	Florida StateTallahassee, FL · public	$49,144	Not adjusted	$52,542	$22,250	45%
14	University of HoustonHouston, TX · public	$47,461	$48,900	$64,210	$27,000	57%
15	Suffolk UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$47,415	$44,834	$62,088	$27,000	57%
16	Miami UniversityOxford, OH · public	$47,295	Not adjusted	$67,080	$26,000	55%
17	Art Center College of DesignPasadena, CA · private nonprofit	$47,053	$42,497	$81,385	$31,050	66%
18	Notre DameNotre Dame, IN · private nonprofit	$46,825	Not adjusted	$81,608	$20,250	43%
19	Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA · public	$46,761	Not adjusted	$65,699	$25,802	55%
20	Clemson UniversityClemson, SC · public	$46,689	$49,802	$57,835	$26,000	56%
21	Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL · public	$46,585	Not adjusted	$58,793	$26,000	56%
22	Chapman UniversityOrange, CA · private nonprofit	$46,519	$42,015	$77,615	$23,000	49%
23	Park UniversityParkville, MO · private nonprofit	$46,340	$51,026	Not reported	$20,750	45%
24	Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY · private nonprofit	$46,181	Not adjusted	$64,921	$27,000	58%
25	Bellevue CollegeBellevue, WA · public	$45,947	$42,936	Not reported	$33,660	73%
26	Pennsylvania College of TechnologyWilliamsport, PA · public	$45,572	$46,706	Not reported	$27,000	59%
27	Ohio StateColumbus, OH · public	$45,176	$48,695	$69,416	$25,100	56%
28	NC StateRaleigh, NC · public	$44,930	$47,633	$61,375	$20,500	46%
29	Washington StatePullman, WA · public	$44,823	$41,886	$61,992	$22,802	51%
30	PurdueWest Lafayette, IN · public	$44,602	$47,790	$53,610	$20,250	45%
31	UT AustinAustin, TX · public	$44,506	$45,856	$88,050	$22,500	51%
32	Texas StateSan Marcos, TX · public	$44,396	$45,742	$62,197	$24,353	55%
33	University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL · public	$44,215	Not adjusted	$57,905	$26,505	60%
34	Kansas StateManhattan, KS · public	$43,992	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
35	University of DaytonDayton, OH · private nonprofit	$43,609	Not adjusted	$60,018	Not reported	Not reported
36	Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · public	$43,530	$44,613	$63,888	$26,875	62%
37	Penn StateUniversity Park, PA · public	$43,324	$44,402	$66,140	$26,000	60%
38	University of FloridaGainesville, FL · public	$43,144	$41,720	$73,474	$19,839	46%
39	University of Central ArkansasConway, AR · public	$43,106	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
40	University of Central OklahomaEdmond, OK · public	$42,619	$48,517	$59,192	$15,875	37%
41	University of DelawareNewark, DE · public	$42,585	Not adjusted	$70,925	$26,000	61%
42	Susquehanna UniversitySelinsgrove, PA · private nonprofit	$42,510	Not adjusted	$63,532	$27,000	64%
43	University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN · public	$42,462	$43,056	$61,564	$24,000	57%
44	University of KentuckyLexington, KY · public	$42,168	Not adjusted	$57,495	$27,000	64%
45	UT ChattanoogaChattanooga, TN · public	$41,968	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,000	60%
46	North Dakota StateFargo, ND · public	$41,846	Not adjusted	$50,837	$27,000	65%
47	University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR · public	$41,782	$48,060	Not reported	$23,881	57%
48	Samford UniversityBirmingham, AL · private nonprofit	$41,323	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,000	60%
49	UW-Stevens PointStevens Point, WI · public	$41,243	$43,831	Not reported	$23,684	57%
50	UMass LowellLowell, MA · public	$41,020	$38,787	Not reported	$27,000	66%
51	UW-StoutMenomonie, WI · public	$40,615	Not adjusted	$51,582	$27,000	66%
52	Weber StateOgden, UT · public	$40,507	$40,972	$54,898	$21,851	54%
53	Dunwoody College of TechnologyMinneapolis, MN · private nonprofit	$40,302	$40,866	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
54	Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztown, PA · public	$40,286	$41,288	$50,452	$27,000	67%
55	Bemidji StateBemidji, MN · public	$40,231	$40,794	$34,819	$27,000	67%
56	Winthrop UniversityRock Hill, SC · public	$40,119	$42,794	$52,038	$29,917	75%
57	East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC · public	$39,992	$42,398	$53,859	$25,000	63%
58	Sam Houston StateHuntsville, TX · public	$39,959	$41,171	$48,480	$29,000	73%
59	University of AkronAkron, OH · public	$39,856	$42,960	$49,246	$27,000	68%
60	WVUMorgantown, WV · public	$39,847	Not adjusted	$61,505	$25,500	64%
61	Maryville University of Saint LouisSaint Louis, MO · private nonprofit	$39,623	$43,629	$49,414	$24,621	62%
62	Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO · public	$39,450	$38,282	$64,448	$29,125	74%
63	Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA · public	$39,355	$40,870	Not reported	$26,000	66%
64	Baylor UniversityWaco, TX · private nonprofit	$39,333	$40,526	$62,970	$26,500	67%
65	Bellevue UniversityBellevue, NE · private nonprofit	$39,313	Not adjusted	$48,642	$29,688	76%
66	Illinois StateNormal, IL · public	$39,287	$39,304	Not reported	$24,986	64%
67	Endicott CollegeBeverly, MA · private nonprofit	$39,271	$37,133	$65,413	$27,000	69%
68	Seattle Pacific UniversitySeattle, WA · private nonprofit	$39,248	$36,676	$79,971	$26,000	66%
69	Seminole State College of FloridaSanford, FL · public	$39,221	$37,926	Not reported	$28,558	73%
70	Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI · public	$39,077	$40,613	$67,581	$27,000	69%
71	GCUPhoenix, AZ · private nonprofit	$38,976	$38,714	Not reported	$27,000	69%
72	NJITNewark, NJ · public	$38,975	$35,821	Not reported	$27,000	69%
73	USFTampa, FL · public	$38,938	$37,653	$54,896	$17,500	45%
74	UNC GreensboroGreensboro, NC · public	$38,858	$41,195	$48,573	$26,000	67%
75	Middle Tennessee StateMurfreesboro, TN · public	$38,807	$42,241	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
76	University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA · public	$38,637	$44,025	$50,416	$25,100	65%
77	Minnesota State MoorheadMoorhead, MN · public	$38,587	Not adjusted	$46,027	$27,000	70%
78	University of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, NE · public	$38,585	$42,823	Not reported	$21,500	56%
79	Abilene Christian UniversityAbilene, TX · private nonprofit	$38,553	$39,722	Not reported	$21,875	57%
80	Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI · public	$38,443	$39,954	$52,336	Not reported	Not reported
81	Champlain CollegeBurlington, VT · private nonprofit	$38,264	Not adjusted	$51,815	$26,885	70%
82	Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	$38,154	$39,103	$67,219	$27,000	71%
83	University of Northwestern-St PaulSaint Paul, MN · private nonprofit	$37,966	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
84	Saint Norbert CollegeDe Pere, WI · private nonprofit	$37,856	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	71%
85	University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, OK · public	$37,755	$42,980	Not reported	$27,000	72%
86	Iowa StateAmes, IA · public	$37,565	$42,803	$55,046	$27,000	72%
87	University of KansasLawrence, KS · public	$37,508	$41,644	$57,249	$26,000	69%
88	Judson UniversityElgin, IL · private nonprofit	$37,466	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
89	Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	$37,395	$33,774	$67,824	$17,215	46%
90	Missouri Western StateSaint Joseph, MO · public	$37,200	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
91	Newschool of Architecture and DesignSan Diego, CA · private for-profit	$37,132	$33,537	Not reported	$39,251	106%
92	UW-ParksideKenosha, WI · public	$36,920	$39,237	Not reported	$27,000	73%
93	Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI · public	$36,917	$38,368	$56,215	$28,500	77%
94	Ball StateMuncie, IN · public	$36,864	$39,499	Not reported	$22,000	60%
95	Michigan StateEast Lansing, MI · public	$36,784	$38,230	$54,108	$28,175	77%
96	CSUNNorthridge, CA · public	$36,736	$33,179	$49,713	Not reported	Not reported
97	Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	$36,433	$37,340	$56,844	$27,000	74%
98	Bob Jones UniversityGreenville, SC · private nonprofit	$36,424	Not adjusted	$30,827	$15,750	43%
99	Meredith CollegeRaleigh, NC · private nonprofit	$36,357	$38,544	$46,268	$25,000	69%
100	Kent StateKent, OH · public	$36,351	$39,182	$52,096	$26,000	72%
101	RPITroy, NY · private nonprofit	$36,191	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,000	69%
102	University of TennesseeKnoxville, TN · public	$36,061	$39,252	$55,974	Not reported	Not reported
103	Pratt InstituteBrooklyn, NY · private nonprofit	$36,040	$33,395	$67,814	$26,000	72%
104	Arkansas StateJonesboro, AR · public	$35,970	Not adjusted	$46,812	Not reported	Not reported
105	ASUTempe, AZ · public	$35,960	$35,718	$63,188	$21,500	60%
106	South Dakota StateBrookings, SD · public	$35,944	Not adjusted	$50,581	$27,000	75%
107	Quinnipiac UniversityHamden, CT · private nonprofit	$35,884	Not adjusted	Not reported	$26,976	75%
108	SNHUManchester, NH · private nonprofit	$35,878	Not adjusted	$49,885	$33,260	93%
109	Cedarville UniversityCedarville, OH · private nonprofit	$35,768	$38,554	$53,239	$25,000	70%
110	Kean UniversityUnion, NJ · public	$35,673	$32,786	$59,125	$26,713	75%
111	Bowling Green StateBowling Green, OH · public	$35,645	$38,421	$51,779	$27,000	76%
112	Oregon StateCorvallis, OR · public	$35,614	$34,456	$53,265	$23,419	66%
113	Longwood UniversityFarmville, VA · public	$35,612	$35,223	Not reported	$25,625	72%
114	Harding UniversitySearcy, AR · private nonprofit	$35,582	Not adjusted	$46,032	Not reported	Not reported
115	Carthage CollegeKenosha, WI · private nonprofit	$35,511	$37,740	$55,354	$27,000	76%
116	University of Saint Francis-Fort WayneFort Wayne, IN · private nonprofit	$35,439	$37,972	$46,609	$27,000	76%
117	Portland StatePortland, OR · public	$35,304	$34,156	$63,970	$26,995	76%
118	Russell Sage CollegeTroy, NY · private nonprofit	$35,294	$32,704	$41,092	$27,000	77%
119	Indiana University of PennsylvaniaIndiana, PA · public	$34,981	$35,851	$54,226	$27,000	77%
120	Keene State CollegeKeene, NH · public	$34,947	$33,550	$54,022	$25,371	73%
121	Central Connecticut StateNew Britain, CT · public	$34,930	$33,713	$53,222	$22,641	65%
122	San Francisco StateSan Francisco, CA · public	$34,845	$31,471	$71,008	$18,000	52%
123	Appalachian StateBoone, NC · public	$34,722	$36,811	$54,970	$21,500	62%
124	RITRochester, NY · private nonprofit	$34,709	$32,161	$55,746	$27,000	78%
125	SUNY New PaltzNew Paltz, NY · public	$34,677	$32,132	$57,835	$22,879	66%
126	UIUCChampaign, IL · public	$34,670	$34,685	$70,046	$18,839	54%
127	Saint Cloud StateSaint Cloud, MN · public	$34,627	$35,111	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
128	Design Institute of San DiegoSan Diego, CA · private for-profit	$34,589	$31,240	Not reported	$45,687	132%
129	Concordia University-Saint PaulSaint Paul, MN · private nonprofit	$34,384	$34,865	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
130	UICChicago, IL · public	$34,377	$34,391	$50,710	$25,750	75%
131	Flagler CollegeSaint Augustine, FL · private nonprofit	$34,236	$33,106	$48,705	$27,000	79%
132	East Tennessee StateJohnson City, TN · public	$34,177	$37,201	Not reported	$19,250	56%
133	Radford UniversityRadford, VA · public	$34,096	$33,724	$47,401	$27,000	79%
134	Ferris StateBig Rapids, MI · public	$34,045	$35,384	$43,252	$27,000	79%
135	Anderson University (South Carolina)Anderson, SC · private nonprofit	$34,040	$36,310	$47,780	$27,000	79%
136	UMBCBaltimore, MD · public	$34,020	$32,413	$38,986	$21,531	63%
137	Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ · public	$33,964	$33,736	$54,011	$23,245	68%
138	University of Central MissouriWarrensburg, MO · public	$33,921	$37,351	$42,852	$25,576	75%
139	BYUProvo, UT · private nonprofit	$33,915	$34,305	$59,245	$13,000	38%
140	UNTDenton, TX · public	$33,867	$34,894	$55,345	$22,288	66%
141	Missouri StateSpringfield, MO · public	$33,695	$37,102	$37,505	$26,477	79%
142	WashUSt. Louis, MO · private nonprofit	$33,615	Not adjusted	Not reported	$19,089	57%
143	Wichita StateWichita, KS · public	$33,590	$37,294	$45,071	$26,000	77%
144	William Peace UniversityRaleigh, NC · private nonprofit	$33,536	$35,553	Not reported	$24,978	74%
145	Nazareth UniversityRochester, NY · private nonprofit	$33,461	$31,005	Not reported	$23,250	69%
146	Marymount UniversityArlington, VA · private nonprofit	$33,180	$32,818	$60,370	$27,000	81%
147	UW-Green BayGreen Bay, WI · public	$32,991	$35,061	$42,182	$18,186	55%
148	Western Carolina UniversityCullowhee, NC · public	$32,842	$34,818	$51,717	$29,911	91%
149	UC DavisDavis, CA · public	$32,816	$29,639	$67,513	$15,000	46%
150	College for Creative StudiesDetroit, MI · private nonprofit	$32,665	$33,949	$60,568	$26,000	80%
151	SUNY OswegoOswego, NY · public	$32,546	$30,157	$43,544	$26,530	82%
152	Rasmussen UniversitySt. Cloud, MN · private for-profit	$32,482	$32,936	Not reported	$35,438	109%
153	Emmanuel CollegeBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$32,413	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	83%
154	RutgersNew Brunswick, NJ · public	$32,397	$29,775	Not reported	$27,000	83%
155	Sacramento StateSacramento, CA · public	$32,240	$29,118	$56,723	$15,750	49%
156	Woodbury UniversityBurbank, CA · private nonprofit	$32,175	$29,060	Not reported	$26,980	84%
157	University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA · private nonprofit	$32,070	$28,965	$65,023	$26,500	83%
158	Mississippi Christian UniversityClinton, MS · private nonprofit	$32,020	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
159	Taylor UniversityUpland, IN · private nonprofit	$31,921	Not adjusted	Not reported	$22,000	69%
160	Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT · public	$31,888	$32,254	$50,613	$14,057	44%
161	LIM CollegeNew York, NY · private for-profit	$31,885	Not adjusted	$56,151	$27,000	85%
162	Baldwin Wallace UniversityBerea, OH · private nonprofit	$31,749	$34,222	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
163	University of Nevada-Las VegasLas Vegas, NV · public	$31,702	$31,709	Not reported	$19,772	62%
164	Queens University of CharlotteCharlotte, NC · private nonprofit	$31,611	$33,512	$49,008	$27,000	85%
165	St Catherine UniversitySaint Paul, MN · private nonprofit	$31,547	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
166	Oklahoma Christian UniversityEdmond, OK · private nonprofit	$31,466	Not adjusted	$49,855	$27,000	86%
167	San Diego StateSan Diego, CA · public	$31,459	$28,413	$56,904	$13,716	44%
168	University of Minnesota-DuluthDuluth, MN · public	$31,337	$31,775	$43,529	$24,800	79%
169	University of BridgeportBridgeport, CT · private nonprofit	$31,207	$30,120	$47,145	$27,000	87%
170	Otis College of Art and DesignLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	$31,172	$28,154	$63,969	$27,000	87%
171	Upper Iowa UniversityFayette, IA · private nonprofit	$31,122	Not adjusted	Not reported	$39,780	128%
172	University of DenverDenver, CO · private nonprofit	$31,104	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
173	Boise StateBoise, ID · public	$31,083	$32,550	$39,301	$28,599	92%
174	Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA · public	$31,078	$29,041	$64,470	$20,000	64%
175	Black Hills StateSpearfish, SD · public	$31,022	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
176	Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI · public	$30,687	$31,894	$45,569	$27,954	91%
177	University of Advancing TechnologyTempe, AZ · private for-profit	$30,640	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,895	91%
178	Saint Edward's UniversityAustin, TX · private nonprofit	$30,589	$31,517	$42,871	$26,000	85%
179	York College of PennsylvaniaYork, PA · private nonprofit	$30,567	Not adjusted	$52,684	Not reported	Not reported
180	DePaul UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$30,536	$30,549	$61,069	$27,000	88%
181	NC A&TGreensboro, NC · public	$30,470	$32,303	$44,151	$29,958	98%
182	Cal State Monterey BaySeaside, CA · public	$30,378	$27,437	$56,342	$14,827	49%
183	Cal Poly PomonaPomona, CA · public	$30,065	$27,154	$52,064	$21,160	70%
184	Mount Mary UniversityMilwaukee, WI · private nonprofit	$30,053	$31,939	$36,199	$26,500	88%
185	Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA · private nonprofit	$30,019	Not adjusted	$45,177	$26,000	87%
186	Rocky Mountain College of Art and DesignLakewood, CO · private for-profit	$29,829	Not adjusted	$45,743	$46,544	156%
187	Albright CollegeReading, PA · private nonprofit	$29,793	$30,534	$44,395	$27,000	91%
188	Lasell UniversityNewton, MA · private nonprofit	$29,661	$28,046	$43,722	$27,000	91%
189	UMass DartmouthNorth Dartmouth, MA · public	$29,660	$28,045	$49,179	$27,000	91%
190	Columbia College ChicagoChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$29,630	$29,642	$46,082	$27,000	91%
191	University of HartfordWest Hartford, CT · private nonprofit	$29,515	$28,487	$44,307	$27,000	91%
192	Kansas City Art InstituteKansas City, MO · private nonprofit	$29,513	$32,497	$46,472	$27,000	91%
193	Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence, RI · private nonprofit	$29,489	Not adjusted	$68,157	$27,000	92%
194	Robert Morris UniversityMoon Township, PA · private nonprofit	$29,488	$30,222	$50,110	$27,000	92%
195	Lubbock Christian UniversityLubbock, TX · private nonprofit	$29,479	$30,373	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
196	Rider UniversityLawrenceville, NJ · private nonprofit	$29,445	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
197	Fitchburg StateFitchburg, MA · public	$29,191	$27,602	Not reported	$27,000	92%
198	Louisiana Tech UniversityRuston, LA · public	$29,146	Not adjusted	$40,793	$21,513	74%
199	Maine College of Art & DesignPortland, ME · private nonprofit	$29,001	$29,883	$37,416	$27,000	93%
200	University of OregonEugene, OR · public	$28,844	$27,906	$64,994	$29,050	101%
201	Milwaukee Institute of Art & DesignMilwaukee, WI · private nonprofit	$28,801	$30,608	$53,740	$27,000	94%
202	Belmont UniversityNashville, TN · private nonprofit	$28,702	$31,242	$41,939	$27,000	94%
203	California College of the ArtsSan Francisco, CA · private nonprofit	$28,673	$25,897	$62,146	$27,000	94%
204	California Baptist UniversityRiverside, CA · private nonprofit	$28,669	$25,893	Not reported	$26,487	92%
205	Walla Walla UniversityCollege Place, WA · private nonprofit	$28,436	Not adjusted	Not reported	$28,000	98%
206	Marist UniversityPoughkeepsie, NY · private nonprofit	$28,336	$26,256	$65,701	$26,929	95%
207	Mercyhurst UniversityErie, PA · private nonprofit	$28,267	$28,970	$58,401	$27,000	96%
208	UL LafayetteLafayette, LA · public	$28,206	$31,977	Not reported	$20,416	72%
209	Ringling College of Art and DesignSarasota, FL · private nonprofit	$28,137	Not adjusted	$44,462	$27,000	96%
210	North Central CollegeNaperville, IL · private nonprofit	$28,037	$28,049	$54,631	$22,000	78%
211	Assumption UniversityWorcester, MA · private nonprofit	$28,032	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
212	University of the Incarnate WordSan Antonio, TX · private nonprofit	$27,986	$28,835	$52,068	$27,000	96%
213	Columbus College of Art & DesignColumbus, OH · private nonprofit	$27,970	$30,149	$40,747	$27,000	97%
214	Stevenson UniversityOwings Mills, MD · private nonprofit	$27,969	$26,648	$54,362	$27,000	97%
215	Berkeley College-Woodland ParkWoodland Park, NJ · private for-profit	$27,937	$25,676	Not reported	$30,398	109%
216	Farmingdale State CollegeFarmingdale, NY · public	$27,827	$25,785	$51,484	$18,875	68%
217	Laguna College of Art and DesignLaguna Beach, CA · private nonprofit	$27,785	$25,095	$56,145	$27,000	97%
218	Northwest College of Art & DesignTacoma, WA · private for-profit	$27,694	$25,879	Not reported	$30,750	111%
219	Saginaw Valley StateUniversity Center, MI · public	$27,577	$28,661	$49,623	$26,125	95%
220	Chico StateChico, CA · public	$27,573	$24,903	$46,813	$19,047	69%
221	Purdue Fort WayneFort Wayne, IN · public	$27,517	$29,484	Not reported	$27,000	98%
222	New England Institute of TechnologyEast Greenwich, RI · private nonprofit	$27,383	$26,773	Not reported	$29,167	107%
223	Maryland Institute College of ArtBaltimore, MD · private nonprofit	$27,246	Not adjusted	$51,848	$27,000	99%
224	Fashion Institute of TechnologyNew York, NY · public	$27,023	$25,040	$58,599	$25,000	93%
225	Grand View UniversityDes Moines, IA · private nonprofit	$26,996	$30,760	$53,635	$24,574	91%
226	University of North GeorgiaDahlonega, GA · public	$26,823	$27,856	$47,803	Not reported	Not reported
227	UT DallasRichardson, TX · public	$26,629	$27,436	$47,230	$20,403	77%
228	Los Angeles Film SchoolHollywood, CA · private for-profit	$26,583	Not adjusted	Not reported	$51,250	193%
229	Centenary UniversityHackettstown, NJ · private nonprofit	$26,569	$24,419	$36,388	$27,000	102%
230	University of New HavenWest Haven, CT · private nonprofit	$26,425	$25,504	Not reported	$27,000	102%
231	IU BloomingtonBloomington, IN · public	$26,421	$28,310	$49,921	$21,064	80%
232	Coastal Carolina UniversityConway, SC · public	$26,076	$27,815	$37,002	$27,000	104%
233	Montclair StateMontclair, NJ · public	$26,027	$23,921	$52,388	$26,000	100%
234	VCURichmond, VA · public	$25,872	$25,589	$49,801	$25,937	100%
235	Kennesaw StateKennesaw, GA · public	$25,839	$26,834	Not reported	$20,500	79%
236	Pennsylvania College of Art and DesignLancaster, PA · private nonprofit	$25,830	$26,473	$26,703	$27,000	105%
237	Marywood UniversityScranton, PA · private nonprofit	$25,727	$26,367	$48,458	$27,362	106%
238	Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, FL · private for-profit	$25,479	Not adjusted	$44,692	$40,218	158%
239	Lesley UniversityCambridge, MA · private nonprofit	$25,227	$23,854	$51,256	$26,500	105%
240	Cleveland StateCleveland, OH · public	$24,959	$26,903	$45,790	$26,875	108%
241	John Brown UniversitySiloam Springs, AR · private nonprofit	$24,893	Not adjusted	$51,158	$20,500	82%
242	The New SchoolNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$24,804	$22,983	$59,797	$26,000	105%
243	Ohio UniversityAthens, OH · public	$24,716	$26,641	$53,422	$26,791	108%
244	Massachusetts College of Art and DesignBoston, MA · public	$24,706	$23,361	$52,089	$26,000	105%
245	Cal State San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA · public	$24,604	$22,222	$42,348	$16,139	66%
246	Nossi College of Art and DesignNashville, TN · private for-profit	$24,497	$26,665	$39,974	$46,500	190%
247	Shawnee StatePortsmouth, OH · public	$24,375	$26,274	$30,713	$29,000	119%
248	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan CampusTeaneck, NJ · private nonprofit	$24,357	$22,386	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
249	Minneapolis College of Art and DesignMinneapolis, MN · private nonprofit	$23,687	$24,018	$45,820	$27,000	114%
250	Western Oregon UniversityMonmouth, OR · public	$23,583	$22,816	Not reported	$24,625	104%
251	FAMUTallahassee, FL · public	$23,504	Not adjusted	$36,500	$27,000	115%
252	SCADSavannah, GA · private nonprofit	$23,400	Not adjusted	$43,503	$27,000	115%
253	Cleveland Institute of ArtCleveland, OH · private nonprofit	$23,358	$25,177	Not reported	$27,000	116%
254	Fresno StateFresno, CA · public	$23,160	$20,918	$46,255	$24,410	105%
255	Dominican UniversityRiver Forest, IL · private nonprofit	$22,938	$22,948	Not reported	$26,978	118%
256	Bradley UniversityPeoria, IL · private nonprofit	$22,893	Not adjusted	$55,746	Not reported	Not reported
257	University of Silicon ValleySan Jose, CA · private for-profit	$22,656	$20,462	Not reported	$31,000	137%
258	Southern Arkansas UniversityMagnolia, AR · public	$22,016	$25,324	Not reported	$25,559	116%
259	City TechBrooklyn, NY · public	$21,445	$19,871	$41,695	$12,000	56%
260	Clark Atlanta UniversityAtlanta, GA · private nonprofit	$20,974	$21,781	$28,479	$27,427	131%
261	Art Academy of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH · private nonprofit	$20,921	$22,550	$37,445	$27,000	129%
262	Academy of Art UniversitySan Francisco, CA · private for-profit	$20,829	$18,812	$57,948	$33,187	159%
263	Moore College of Art and DesignPhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	$20,587	$21,099	$46,147	$27,000	131%
264	Arkansas Tech UniversityRussellville, AR · public	$20,285	$23,333	$40,422	$28,950	143%
265	Webster UniversitySaint Louis, MO · private nonprofit	$20,257	$22,305	Not reported	$25,550	126%
266	SUNY Polytechnic InstituteUtica, NY · public	$20,252	$18,766	Not reported	$15,500	77%
267	Montserrat College of ArtBeverly, MA · private nonprofit	$19,865	$18,784	$38,093	$27,000	136%
268	Pacific Northwest College of ArtPortland, OR · private nonprofit	$19,501	$18,867	$36,201	$26,899	138%
269	SUNY FredoniaFredonia, NY · public	$19,451	$18,023	$43,925	$26,500	136%
270	Queens CollegeQueens, NY · public	$19,349	$17,929	$45,307	$17,625	91%
271	Roosevelt UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$19,028	$19,036	Not reported	$27,000	142%
272	UM-FlintFlint, MI · public	$18,339	$19,060	$39,767	$30,695	167%
273	School of Visual ArtsNew York, NY · private for-profit	$15,985	$14,812	$50,431	$27,000	169%
274	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo CampusGurabo, PR · private nonprofit	$7,580	Not adjusted	$31,722	$11,250	148%

Pay after cost of living divides first-year pay by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price level of the school's state, where the US average is 100. It is shown for 211 programs where at least half of the graduates who work are working in the school's state. The other 63, whose graduates mostly work in other states or whose state has no price level, are listed last when you sort by it.

28 programs report pay but not debt, so they are ranked only by pay.

College Scorecard withholds pay for programs with too few graduates, to protect their privacy, so those programs can't be ranked. 23 more programs report pay but aren't listed, because College Scorecard's school file doesn't name their schools. The national medians above still count them.

Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's) programs by state

Each row is the median across the state's design and applied arts bachelor's programs. State names link to the full ranking of that state's programs.

#	State	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
1	Washington	7	$39,248	$24,896
2	Texas	11	$38,553	$25,177
3	Wisconsin	9	$36,920	$27,000
4	Florida	8	$36,587	$27,000
5	South Carolina	5	$36,424	$27,000
6	Pennsylvania	16	$35,707	$27,000
7	Ohio	15	$35,645	$26,938
8	Indiana	7	$35,439	$22,000
9	North Carolina	9	$34,722	$25,000
10	Minnesota	11	$34,627	$27,000
11	Michigan	9	$34,045	$27,477
12	Missouri	8	$33,808	$25,550
13	Virginia	6	$33,638	$25,969
14	California	27	$32,070	$23,705
15	Connecticut	5	$31,207	$27,000
16	Massachusetts	14	$31,037	$27,000
17	New York	18	$30,111	$26,000
18	Illinois	10	$30,083	$26,364
19	Oregon	5	$28,844	$26,899
20	New Jersey	8	$28,691	$27,000
21	Georgia	6	$26,331	$26,354

Programs in 25 more states and territories report pay, but too few to rank. A state ranking needs at least five programs that report both pay and debt.

Quick picks nationwide

Lowest median debt

Lowest debt for the pay

Only the 196 programs with their own page here are included. "Debt for the pay" is median debt divided by first-year pay.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to design and applied arts, largest first. Pay is the median across the US and all experience levels.

Graphic Designers

$62,960

Median pay in the US. 197,830 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 16,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $39,520Top 10%: $104,910

Web and Digital Interface Designers

$104,000

Median pay in the US. 113,330 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 8,300 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $53,750Top 10%: $201,550

Interior Designers

$67,190

Median pay in the US. 71,500 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,700 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $41,420Top 10%: $114,140

Art Directors

$114,850

Median pay in the US. 53,070 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $64,900Top 10%: $213,050

Common questions

The median design and applied arts bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $33,536 in their first year and $50,431 five years after.

Design and Applied Arts (Associate's) programs in the US, ranked83 programs by pay and debt

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid, and earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Medians are across programs, not students: each program counts once, however many graduates it has.
National medians include every program in the 50 states, DC, and US territories, including schools that have since closed. Schools with several campuses that report one combined figure are counted once.
Programs are ranked by College Scorecard median pay one year after graduation. Pay after cost of living uses the price level of the school's state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024