Bob Jones University Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

  • Bachelor's in Design and Applied Arts
  • Private nonprofit university
  • Greenville, SC
  • About 14 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Bob Jones University design and applied arts graduates earn about what design and applied arts graduates earn nationally, $36,424 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $15,750 in federal loans, less than at 96% of design and applied arts programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying design and applied arts degrees in South Carolina.

First-year earnings$36,42466th percentile of 297 programs nationally
Earnings after 5 years$30,82715% less than year one
Median federal debt$15,750The lowest of 5 South Carolina programs
Debt-to-earnings43%South Carolina median 75%, national 77%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The South Carolina and national columns are the medians across all design and applied arts bachelor's programs that report the figure.

Five years out, Bob Jones University graduates earn less than the national figure and about $15,439 less than the South Carolina median. Several South Carolina programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

Debt and first-year pay at every South Carolina design and applied arts program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the South Carolina medians.

Bob Jones UniversityOther South Carolina programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay falls about 15% between the first and fifth year.

Bob Jones University grads, year 1$36,424
Bob Jones University grads, year 5$30,827
All South Carolina design and applied arts grads, year 5$46,266

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $167 a month, or 5.5% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

Prices in the Greenville area are about 7% below the national average, so a $36,424 salary here buys what about $39,056 buys in a typical US city.

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 all experience levels.

Graphic Designers

$57,170

Median pay in South Carolina. 1,930 people work in this job in South Carolina. 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%: $37,190Top 10%: $90,000

Web and Digital Interface Designers

$80,930

Median pay in South Carolina. 800 people work in this job in South Carolina. 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%: $43,720Top 10%: $162,880

Interior Designers

$63,790

Median pay in South Carolina. 940 people work in this job in South Carolina. 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%: $40,720Top 10%: $101,360

Art Directors

$87,990

Median pay in South Carolina. 550 people work in this job in South Carolina. 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%: $64,380Top 10%: $180,030

About Bob Jones University

Design and Applied Arts ranks 4th of 10 bachelor's programs at Bob Jones University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($73,493), Accounting ($59,332), and Business Administration ($44,419).

Other design and applied arts bachelor's programs near Greenville

Common questions

The median graduate earns $36,424 one year after graduating and $30,827 five years after. The median across design and applied arts bachelor's programs in South Carolina is $36,424.

About this data

  • Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
  • Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
  • Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
  • Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of South Carolina comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
  • Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
  • School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the design and applied arts program.

Sources

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

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