Design and Applied Arts: Florida State University vs University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
In-State
22.7x
$22,624 tuition
14.4x
$50,572 tuition
Out-of-State
6.8x
$75,144 tuition
4.3x
$167,988 tuition
$514,390 10-yr earnings · Public
$730,040 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

Florida State University University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 22.7x 14.4x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 6.8x 4.3x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $22,624 $50,572
Year 1 Earnings $49,144 $63,449
10-Year Earnings $514K $730K
Median Debt $22,625 $12,250
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 5.5 months 2.3 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 63/100 61/100
Acceptance Rate 25.4% 42.5%

Both programs have high AI automation risk (38% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Design and Applied Arts graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Design and Applied Arts graduates.

Florida State University University of Washington-Seattle Campus
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $22,624 $50,572
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $75,144 $167,988
10-Year Projected Earnings $514K $730K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 22.7x 14.4x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 6.8x 4.3x
5-Year Salary Growth +7% +35%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Design and Applied Arts (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

Florida State University University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $516K $514K $486K $752K $730K $660K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 22.8x 22.7x 21.5x 14.9x 14.4x 13.1x
DegreeWorth Score 65 63 62 63 61 59

For the full AI analysis of Design and Applied Arts career paths, see the Florida State University or University of Washington-Seattle Campus program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Design and Applied Arts graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$27,948
Florida State University saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$14,305/yr
University of Washington-Seattle Campus grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
22.7x / 14.4x
Out-of-state: 6.8x / 4.3x

Career Paths

Design and Applied Arts graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Art directors $111,040 12,300 +4.2% 50%
Architecture teachers, postsecondary $101,480 900 +2.0% 49%
Special effects artists and animators $99,800 5,000 +1.6% 52%
Web and digital interface designers $98,090 9,100 +7.0% 67%
Fashion designers $80,690 2,300 +2.0% 39%
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary $80,190 9,000 +1.7% 44%
Commercial and industrial designers $79,450 2,500 +3.2% 47%
Postsecondary teachers, all other $78,490 13,500 +1.8% 0%
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Design and Applied Arts: Florida State University or University of Washington-Seattle Campus?
Florida State University scores 63/100 while University of Washington-Seattle Campus scores 61/100. Florida State University has significantly lower tuition, which drives its higher ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Design and Applied Arts?
Florida State University has an in-state earnings multiple of 22.7x vs University of Washington-Seattle Campus's 14.4x. That means Florida State University grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition. The $27,948 tuition gap is the biggest driver of this difference.
How do Florida State University and University of Washington-Seattle Campus compare on Design and Applied Arts earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $49,144 at Florida State University vs $63,449 at University of Washington-Seattle Campus. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $514,390 vs $730,040 — a difference of $215,650.
How much does Design and Applied Arts cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $22,624 at Florida State University and $50,572 at University of Washington-Seattle Campus. Median debt at graduation is $22,625 vs $12,250. Both programs lead to the same Design and Applied Arts career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.