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Design and Applied Arts Degree

290 schools compared · Average earnings $33,862/yr

Students study visual design principles, typography, digital media, and the application of creative problem-solving to commercial and functional design challenges including graphic, product, and interaction design. Graduates typically pursue careers as graphic designers, product designers, UX/UI designers, brand strategists, and creative directors at design firms, ad agencies, and technology companies. Design skills are in strong demand across industries, with UX and product design offering particularly competitive salaries.

What Design and Applied Arts Graduates Do

Your creative talent can lead you down several distinct paths. Many graduates start as graphic designers, spending their days in software creating layouts for ads and websites, constantly refining work based on client feedback. Others jump into the high-growth field of web and digital interface design, where you’ll build wireframes and prototypes to ensure apps are easy to use, not just visually appealing. As you gain experience, you might advance to an Art Director role, where your job shifts from doing the design work to leading a creative team and setting the visual strategy for major projects.

While web and digital design is the fastest-growing path, it also faces the highest AI exposure. AI tools are fundamentally reshaping this role by handling initial mockups and routine tasks, shifting your value to user research and strategic judgment. For most other design careers, AI will act as a powerful assistant, automating tedious work but leaving the core creative vision to you. Your success will depend less on pure technical skill and more on your ability to direct these tools and provide the strategic, human-led creativity that clients value.

Schools Offering

290

Avg Grad Earnings

$33,862/yr

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

35/100

AI Automation Risk

High

42% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Design and Applied Arts graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 101,000 combined openings per year.

Career Path	Salary Range	Openings/yr	Growth	AI Risk
Art directors	$111,040 $80K$160K	12,300	+4.2%	50%
Architecture teachers, postsecondary	$101,480 $78K$129K	900	+2.0%	49%
Special effects artists and animators	$99,800 $73K$136K	5,000	+1.6%	52%
Web and digital interface designers	$98,090 $65K$142K	9,100	+7.0%	67%
Fashion designers	$80,690 $54K$108K	2,300	+2.0%	39%
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary	$80,190 $61K$122K	9,000	+1.7%	44%
Commercial and industrial designers	$79,450 $62K$103K	2,500	+3.2%	47%
Postsecondary teachers, all other	$78,490 $56K$123K	13,500	+1.8%	0%
Artists and related workers, all other	$72,760 $45K$112K	1,200	+0.8%	0%
Set and exhibit designers	$66,280 $49K$100K	2,500	+2.3%	39%
Designers, all other	$66,220 $47K$95K	2,200	+2.0%	0%
Interior designers	$63,490 $50K$81K	7,800	+3.2%	50%
Graphic designers	$61,300 $47K$79K	20,000	+2.1%	50%
Photographers	$42,520 $35K$62K	12,700	+1.8%	39%

Art directors

$111,040

$80K $160K

12,300 openings/yr +4.2% growth 50% AI risk

Architecture teachers, postsecondary

$101,480

$78K $129K

900 openings/yr +2.0% growth 49% AI risk

Special effects artists and animators

$99,800

$73K $136K

5,000 openings/yr +1.6% growth 52% AI risk

Web and digital interface designers

$98,090

$65K $142K

9,100 openings/yr +7.0% growth 67% AI risk

Fashion designers

$80,690

$54K $108K

2,300 openings/yr +2.0% growth 39% AI risk

Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary

$80,190

$61K $122K

9,000 openings/yr +1.7% growth 44% AI risk

Commercial and industrial designers

$79,450

$62K $103K

2,500 openings/yr +3.2% growth 47% AI risk

Postsecondary teachers, all other

$78,490

$56K $123K

13,500 openings/yr +1.8% growth 0% AI risk

Artists and related workers, all other

$72,760

$45K $112K

1,200 openings/yr +0.8% growth 0% AI risk

Set and exhibit designers

$66,280

$49K $100K

2,500 openings/yr +2.3% growth 39% AI risk

Designers, all other

$66,220

$47K $95K

2,200 openings/yr +2.0% growth 0% AI risk

Interior designers

$63,490

$50K $81K

7,800 openings/yr +3.2% growth 50% AI risk

Graphic designers

$61,300

$47K $79K

20,000 openings/yr +2.1% growth 50% AI risk

Photographers

$42,520

$35K $62K

12,700 openings/yr +1.8% growth 39% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Design and Applied Arts

Top 20 of 290 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

#	School	DW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA	69 69–70	$63,449/yr	15.9x
2	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA	69 68–69	$52,694/yr	18.3x
3	University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	67 67–68	$57,615/yr	14.6x
4	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX	64 65–65	$44,506/yr	17.8x
5	University of Florida Gainesville, FL	63 64–64	$43,144/yr	27.8x
6	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH	61 60–62	$52,526/yr	11.8x
7	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL	61 60–61	$49,144/yr	22.2x
8	University of Houston Houston, TX	61 61–62	$47,461/yr	15.5x
9	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC	59 59–60	$44,930/yr	16.2x
10	University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI	58 57–58	$49,780/yr	12.1x
11	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH	58 59–59	$45,176/yr	12.5x
12	Bellevue College Bellevue, WA	56 57–57	$45,947/yr	25.7x
13	Texas State University San Marcos, TX	56 57–57	$44,396/yr	12.6x
14	University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK	56 58–57	$42,619/yr	16.4x
15	Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH	55 54–56	$47,295/yr	8.4x
16	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA	55 55–56	$46,761/yr	9.6x
17	Washington State University Pullman, WA	55 55–55	$44,823/yr	10.9x
18	Weber State University Ogden, UT	55 58–55	$40,507/yr	20.5x
19	California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA	55 61–56	$37,395/yr	23.2x
20	Auburn University Auburn, AL	54 54–55	$46,585/yr	10.7x
21	University of Delaware Newark, DE	54 56–55	$42,585/yr	10.0x
22	Northeastern University Boston, MA	53 53–54	$49,727/yr	2.8x
23	Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN	53 54–54	$44,602/yr	12.4x
24	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL	53 54–54	$44,215/yr	11.2x
25	West Virginia University Morgantown, WV	53 57–54	$39,847/yr	14.9x
26	Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO	53 57–54	$39,450/yr	13.9x
27	University of South Florida Tampa, FL	53 57–54	$38,938/yr	20.4x
28	San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA	53 60–54	$34,845/yr	22.9x
29	East Carolina University Greenville, NC	52 56–53	$39,992/yr	17.3x
30	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA	51 51–52	$64,846/yr	1.9x
31	Clemson University Clemson, SC	51 51–52	$46,689/yr	8.3x
32	Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA	50 50–51	$47,053/yr	2.9x
33	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	50 51–50	$42,462/yr	8.3x
34	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY	50 52–51	$42,168/yr	9.9x
35	Seminole State College of Florida Sanford, FL	50 54–51	$39,221/yr	29.4x
36	Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI	50 54–50	$39,077/yr	10.0x
37	Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA	49 48–50	$50,599/yr	3.1x
38	Temple University Philadelphia, PA	49 50–50	$43,530/yr	6.2x
39	Brigham Young University Provo, UT	49 57–49	$33,915/yr	21.8x
40	University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN	48 48–49	$46,825/yr	2.3x
41	North Dakota State University-Main Campus Fargo, ND	48 50–49	$41,846/yr	10.7x
42	University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI	48 51–49	$40,615/yr	11.7x
43	Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA	48 51–48	$39,355/yr	15.7x
44	University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC	48 52–48	$38,858/yr	15.0x
45	Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA	47 46–48	$66,274/yr	1.6x
46	Kansas State University Manhattan, KS	47 48–47	$43,992/yr	9.1x
47	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ	47 53–48	$35,960/yr	12.1x
48	Portland State University Portland, OR	47 54–48	$35,304/yr	13.2x
49	State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz, NY	47 54–48	$34,677/yr	16.0x
50	Chapman University Orange, CA	46 46–47	$46,519/yr	2.1x
51	Park University Parkville, MO	46 46–47	$46,340/yr	6.1x
52	University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR	46 48–47	$43,106/yr	9.7x
53	University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI	46 48–47	$41,243/yr	10.7x
54	Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX	46 50–47	$39,959/yr	12.1x
55	Bellevue University Bellevue, NE	46 50–47	$39,313/yr	12.7x
56	Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA	46 50–47	$39,248/yr	4.2x
57	University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA	46 50–46	$38,637/yr	12.0x
58	Iowa State University Ames, IA	46 51–47	$37,565/yr	12.1x
59	University of Kansas Lawrence, KS	46 51–47	$37,508/yr	11.2x
60	California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA	46 52–47	$36,736/yr	16.5x
61	Appalachian State University Boone, NC	46 54–47	$34,722/yr	17.2x
62	Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC	46 54–46	$32,842/yr	27.5x
63	Pennsylvania College of Technology Williamsport, PA	45 45–46	$45,572/yr	5.4x
64	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN	45 47–46	$41,968/yr	9.3x
65	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR	45 48–46	$41,782/yr	9.7x
66	Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA	45 49–46	$40,286/yr	10.2x
67	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL	45 52–45	$34,670/yr	9.9x
68	Western Washington University Bellingham, WA	45 54–46	$31,078/yr	16.4x
69	Suffolk University Boston, MA	44 43–44	$47,415/yr	2.4x
70	California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA	44 53–45	$32,240/yr	17.7x
71	Utah State University Logan, UT	43 42–44	$52,431/yr	4.6x
72	University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH	43 46–43	$39,856/yr	8.6x
73	Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR	43 49–43	$35,970/yr	14.1x
74	South Dakota State University Brookings, SD	43 49–44	$35,944/yr	12.6x
75	Kean University Union, NJ	43 50–44	$35,673/yr	10.0x
76	San Diego State University San Diego, CA	43 52–44	$31,459/yr	16.2x
77	California State University-Monterey Bay Seaside, CA	43 52–43	$30,378/yr	17.9x
78	Fashion Institute of Technology New York, NY	43 52–44	$27,023/yr	22.7x
79	Boston University Boston, MA	42 41–43	$49,254/yr	0.9x
80	The College of Saint Rose Albany, NY	42 43–43	$43,418/yr	3.0x
81	Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC	42 46–43	$40,119/yr	7.2x
82	Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN	42 46–42	$38,807/yr	9.2x
83	Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead, MN	42 46–42	$38,587/yr	10.1x
84	Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI	42 48–43	$36,917/yr	8.9x
85	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN	42 48–42	$36,061/yr	9.4x
86	University of California-Davis Davis, CA	42 51–43	$32,816/yr	10.1x
87	Utah Valley University Orem, UT	42 52–43	$31,888/yr	19.2x
88	Interior Designers Institute Newport Beach, CA	41 40–42	$51,188/yr	3.0x
89	University of Massachusetts-Lowell Lowell, MA	41 44–42	$41,020/yr	5.2x
90	University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE	41 45–42	$38,585/yr	8.5x
91	Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI	41 45–42	$38,443/yr	7.4x
92	University of Wisconsin-Parkside Kenosha, WI	41 47–42	$36,920/yr	10.8x
93	Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Indiana, PA	41 49–42	$34,981/yr	10.9x
94	University of North Texas Denton, TX	41 49–42	$33,867/yr	11.4x
95	Endicott College Beverly, MA	40 44–41	$39,271/yr	3.2x
96	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK	40 45–41	$37,755/yr	8.8x
97	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	40 46–40	$36,784/yr	7.5x
98	Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH	40 46–41	$36,351/yr	9.1x
99	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR	40 47–41	$35,614/yr	9.6x
100	Central Connecticut State University New Britain, CT	40 47–40	$34,930/yr	9.7x
101	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA	40 50–41	$30,065/yr	16.5x
102	Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH	40 47–41	$24,716/yr	20.6x
103	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH	40 47–41	$24,716/yr	20.6x
104	Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH	40 47–41	$24,716/yr	20.6x
105	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH	40 47–41	$24,716/yr	20.6x
106	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH	40 47–41	$24,716/yr	20.6x
107	Syracuse University Syracuse, NY	39 39–40	$46,181/yr	1.6x
108	University of Dayton Dayton, OH	39 40–40	$43,609/yr	2.2x
109	Illinois State University Normal, IL	39 43–40	$39,287/yr	5.1x
110	Missouri Western State University Saint Joseph, MO	39 45–40	$37,200/yr	8.5x
111	Oregon State University Corvallis, OR	39 46–40	$35,614/yr	8.9x
112	Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ	39 47–39	$33,964/yr	9.7x
113	University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA	39 48–40	$26,823/yr	22.9x
114	Dunwoody College of Technology Minneapolis, MN	38 41–39	$40,302/yr	2.9x
115	Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN	38 41–39	$40,231/yr	7.6x
116	Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ	38 43–39	$38,976/yr	4.6x
117	New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ	38 42–39	$38,975/yr	4.1x
118	Ball State University Muncie, IN	38 44–39	$36,864/yr	7.6x
119	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH	38 45–39	$35,645/yr	8.2x
120	Keene State College Keene, NH	38 45–39	$34,947/yr	8.2x
121	Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA	37 39–38	$42,510/yr	1.8x
122	Samford University Birmingham, AL	37 40–38	$41,323/yr	1.7x
123	University of Oregon Eugene, OR	37 47–38	$28,844/yr	9.4x
124	Farmingdale State College Farmingdale, NY	37 46–38	$27,827/yr	14.0x
125	Maryville University of Saint Louis Saint Louis, MO	36 40–37	$39,623/yr	3.5x
126	Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH	36 43–37	$35,878/yr	6.6x
127	University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL	36 43–37	$34,377/yr	7.8x
128	Wichita State University Wichita, KS	36 45–37	$33,590/yr	11.1x
129	North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC	36 46–37	$30,470/yr	15.4x
130	Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ	35 41–36	$35,960/yr	—
131	Longwood University Farmville, VA	35 41–35	$35,612/yr	4.9x
132	Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN	35 43–36	$34,627/yr	7.6x
133	East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN	35 42–35	$34,177/yr	7.6x
134	Radford University Radford, VA	35 43–36	$34,096/yr	8.6x
135	University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO	35 43–35	$33,921/yr	10.0x
136	University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Green Bay, WI	35 44–36	$32,991/yr	11.6x
137	State University of New York at Oswego Oswego, NY	35 44–36	$32,546/yr	11.4x
138	California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA	35 41–36	$23,160/yr	15.6x
139	Baylor University Waco, TX	34 38–35	$39,333/yr	1.9x
140	Abilene Christian University Abilene, TX	34 38–34	$38,553/yr	1.3x
141	Drexel University Philadelphia, PA	34 38–34	$38,154/yr	1.8x
142	California State University-Chico Chico, CA	34 43–35	$27,573/yr	13.5x
143	University of Northwestern-St Paul Saint Paul, MN	33 38–34	$37,966/yr	1.6x
144	Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI	33 38–33	$37,856/yr	1.1x
145	Judson University Elgin, IL	33 39–34	$37,466/yr	2.0x
146	Newschool of Architecture and Design San Diego, CA	33 39–34	$37,132/yr	2.1x
147	CUNY Queens College Queens, NY	33 35–34	$19,349/yr	14.0x
148	Pratt Institute-Main Brooklyn, NY	32 38–32	$36,040/yr	1.8x
149	Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI	32 40–32	$34,045/yr	6.9x
150	Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO	32 40–33	$33,695/yr	9.4x
151	Rasmussen University-Minnesota St. Cloud, MN	32 41–33	$32,482/yr	6.5x
152	University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	32 41–33	$31,702/yr	7.7x
153	Champlain College Burlington, VT	31 35–31	$38,264/yr	1.8x
154	Cedarville University Cedarville, OH	31 37–31	$35,768/yr	2.7x
155	Harding University Searcy, AR	31 38–31	$35,582/yr	3.6x
156	Carthage College Kenosha, WI	31 38–32	$35,511/yr	2.8x
157	Rasmussen University-Florida Ocala, FL	31 39–31	$32,482/yr	4.4x
158	Rasmussen University-North Dakota Fargo, ND	31 40–32	$32,482/yr	5.4x
159	Rasmussen University-Illinois Rockford, IL	31 40–32	$32,482/yr	5.0x
160	Rasmussen University-Wisconsin Green Bay, WI	31 40–32	$32,482/yr	5.8x
161	Boise State University Boise, ID	31 40–32	$31,083/yr	10.2x
162	Black Hills State University Spearfish, SD	31 41–32	$31,022/yr	7.6x
163	Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI	31 40–32	$27,577/yr	9.1x
164	Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN	31 40–32	$26,421/yr	9.6x
165	Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA	31 39–32	$25,839/yr	10.2x
166	Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH	31 38–32	$24,716/yr	8.7x
167	California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA	31 38–32	$24,604/yr	12.8x
168	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Tallahassee, FL	31 37–32	$23,504/yr	14.8x
169	CUNY New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY	31 35–32	$21,445/yr	13.2x
170	Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA	30 36–31	$36,433/yr	2.1x
171	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY	30 36–31	$36,191/yr	0.5x
172	Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT	30 36–31	$35,884/yr	0.7x
173	Design Institute of San Diego San Diego, CA	30 37–31	$34,589/yr	1.9x
174	Concordia University-Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN	30 38–31	$34,384/yr	2.4x
175	Flagler College Saint Augustine, FL	30 37–30	$34,236/yr	3.6x
176	University of Maryland-Baltimore County Baltimore, MD	30 38–31	$34,020/yr	6.5x
177	Marymount University Arlington, VA	30 39–31	$33,180/yr	2.9x
178	Rasmussen University-Kansas Topeka, KS	30 39–31	$32,482/yr	4.3x
179	Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ	30 39–31	$32,397/yr	3.7x
180	University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA	30 39–30	$29,660/yr	7.1x
181	Montclair State University Montclair, NJ	30 38–31	$26,027/yr	7.9x
182	Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, MA	30 37–30	$24,706/yr	7.7x
183	SUNY at Fredonia Fredonia, NY	30 33–31	$19,451/yr	11.5x
184	LIM College New York, NY	29 38–30	$31,885/yr	3.4x
185	Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI	29 38–29	$30,687/yr	6.8x
186	Bob Jones University Greenville, SC	28 34–28	$36,424/yr	2.3x
187	University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN	28 35–28	$35,439/yr	2.3x
188	William Peace University Raleigh, NC	28 36–29	$33,536/yr	1.5x
189	Mississippi College Clinton, MS	28 37–29	$32,020/yr	2.7x
190	University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN	28 38–29	$31,337/yr	6.6x
191	Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA	28 37–29	$31,122/yr	3.1x
192	York College of Pennsylvania York, PA	28 38–29	$30,567/yr	4.4x
193	Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, MA	28 38–29	$29,191/yr	5.6x
194	Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA	28 38–29	$29,146/yr	9.1x
195	University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA	28 37–29	$28,206/yr	5.8x
196	Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN	28 37–29	$27,517/yr	6.4x
197	Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA	28 36–29	$25,872/yr	6.6x
198	Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH	28 35–28	$24,959/yr	8.1x
199	Arkansas Tech University Russellville, AR	28 31–29	$20,285/yr	10.9x
200	Meredith College Raleigh, NC	27 33–28	$36,357/yr	1.6x
201	Anderson University Anderson, SC	27 35–28	$34,040/yr	2.6x
202	Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO	27 35–28	$33,615/yr	0.3x
203	Nazareth University Rochester, NY	27 36–28	$33,461/yr	1.0x
204	Oklahoma Christian University Edmond, OK	27 37–28	$31,466/yr	3.8x
205	University of Advancing Technology Tempe, AZ	27 37–28	$30,640/yr	2.9x
206	Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY	27 36–28	$28,336/yr	2.6x
207	The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX	27 36–28	$26,629/yr	7.1x
208	Los Angeles Film School Hollywood, CA	27 35–28	$26,583/yr	—
209	Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA	27 31–28	$20,829/yr	4.2x
210	Russell Sage College Troy, NY	26 33–26	$35,294/yr	1.8x
211	College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI	26 35–27	$32,665/yr	1.9x
212	Emmanuel College Boston, MA	26 35–27	$32,413/yr	0.7x
213	Woodbury University Burbank, CA	26 35–26	$32,175/yr	0.8x
214	University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA	26 35–27	$32,070/yr	1.8x
215	DePaul University Chicago, IL	26 36–27	$30,536/yr	2.4x
216	Liberty University Lynchburg, VA	26 35–26	$30,019/yr	4.3x
217	Western Oregon University Monmouth, OR	26 32–27	$23,583/yr	4.3x
218	Southern Arkansas University Main Campus Magnolia, AR	26 31–27	$22,016/yr	4.6x
219	SUNY Polytechnic Institute Utica, NY	26 29–27	$20,252/yr	4.9x
220	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus Gurabo, PR	26 24–27	$7,580/yr	10.5x
221	Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY	25 33–26	$34,709/yr	1.4x
222	Taylor University Upland, IN	25 35–26	$31,921/yr	1.0x
223	Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH	25 35–26	$31,749/yr	1.1x
224	St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN	25 34–26	$31,547/yr	0.6x
225	Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, CA	25 35–26	$31,172/yr	1.9x
226	Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design Lakewood, CO	25 34–26	$29,829/yr	3.8x
227	Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI	25 34–26	$29,489/yr	1.9x
228	Laguna College of Art and Design Laguna Beach, CA	25 34–26	$27,785/yr	2.9x
229	Northwest College of Art & Design Tacoma, WA	25 34–26	$27,694/yr	2.8x
230	University of Denver Denver, CO	24 34–25	$31,104/yr	0.3x
231	Lubbock Christian University Lubbock, TX	24 34–25	$29,479/yr	1.7x
232	Grand View University Des Moines, IA	24 33–25	$26,996/yr	3.0x
233	Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC	24 32–25	$26,076/yr	6.9x
234	University of Michigan-Flint Flint, MI	24 25–24	$18,339/yr	6.1x
235	University of Bridgeport Bridgeport, CT	23 32–24	$31,207/yr	2.3x
236	Albright College Reading, PA	23 32–24	$29,793/yr	2.9x
237	Lasell University Newton, MA	23 33–24	$29,661/yr	3.2x
238	Robert Morris University Moon Township, PA	23 32–24	$29,488/yr	2.6x
239	Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ	23 33–24	$29,445/yr	0.9x
240	California Baptist University Riverside, CA	23 32–24	$28,669/yr	0.8x
241	Walla Walla University College Place, WA	23 32–24	$28,436/yr	1.2x
242	Mercyhurst University Erie, PA	23 33–24	$28,267/yr	2.3x
243	University of the Incarnate Word San Antonio, TX	23 32–24	$27,986/yr	2.7x
244	Stevenson University Owings Mills, MD	23 32–23	$27,969/yr	2.4x
245	Berkeley College-Woodland Park Woodland Park, NJ	23 32–24	$27,937/yr	1.4x
246	Lesley University Cambridge, MA	23 30–23	$25,227/yr	2.9x
247	John Brown University Siloam Springs, AR	23 30–24	$24,893/yr	3.1x
248	Shawnee State University Portsmouth, OH	23 30–24	$24,375/yr	7.0x
249	Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte, NC	22 32–23	$31,611/yr	1.8x
250	Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL	22 32–23	$29,630/yr	2.5x
251	Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design Milwaukee, WI	22 31–23	$28,801/yr	2.2x
252	California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA	22 31–23	$28,673/yr	1.7x
253	Assumption University Worcester, MA	22 31–23	$28,032/yr	0.4x
254	New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich, RI	22 31–23	$27,383/yr	0.9x
255	FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Los Angeles, CA	22 30–23	$26,479/yr	0.9x
256	University of New Haven West Haven, CT	22 30–22	$26,425/yr	0.4x
257	Full Sail University Winter Park, FL	22 30–23	$25,479/yr	3.2x
258	Nossi College of Art and Design Nashville, TN	22 29–23	$24,497/yr	3.9x
259	Bradley University Peoria, IL	22 28–23	$22,893/yr	2.5x
260	University of Silicon Valley San Jose, CA	22 27–23	$22,656/yr	1.5x
261	Roosevelt University Chicago, IL	22 24–22	$19,028/yr	1.3x
262	North Central College Naperville, IL	21 31–22	$28,037/yr	2.1x
263	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus Teaneck, NJ	21 28–22	$24,357/yr	0.7x
264	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus Madison, NJ	21 28–22	$24,357/yr	0.7x
265	Cleveland Institute of Art Cleveland, OH	21 27–22	$23,358/yr	0.2x
266	Dominican University River Forest, IL	21 27–22	$22,938/yr	0.5x
267	Webster University Saint Louis, MO	21 24–22	$20,257/yr	0.6x
268	Mount Mary University Milwaukee, WI	20 29–20	$30,053/yr	1.6x
269	Kansas City Art Institute Kansas City, MO	20 29–21	$29,513/yr	1.7x
270	Marywood University Scranton, PA	20 28–20	$25,727/yr	2.1x
271	The New School New York, NY	20 27–21	$24,804/yr	1.7x
272	Saint Edward's University Austin, TX	19 29–20	$30,589/yr	1.1x
273	University of Hartford West Hartford, CT	19 28–20	$29,515/yr	1.3x
274	Belmont University Nashville, TN	19 28–20	$28,702/yr	1.5x
275	Maine College of Art & Design Portland, ME	18 28–19	$29,001/yr	1.3x
276	Ringling College of Art and Design Sarasota, FL	18 27–18	$28,137/yr	1.0x
277	Columbus College of Art & Design Columbus, OH	18 28–19	$27,970/yr	1.6x
278	Maryland Institute College of Art Baltimore, MD	18 27–19	$27,246/yr	1.4x
279	Minneapolis College of Art and Design Minneapolis, MN	18 24–19	$23,687/yr	1.6x
280	Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA	18 24–19	$23,400/yr	1.7x
281	School of Visual Arts New York, NY	18 18–19	$15,985/yr	1.6x
282	Centenary University Hackettstown, NJ	17 26–18	$26,569/yr	1.4x
283	Pennsylvania College of Art and Design Lancaster, PA	17 25–18	$25,830/yr	1.1x
284	University of the Arts Philadelphia, PA	17 21–18	$21,765/yr	1.2x
285	Clark Atlanta University Atlanta, GA	17 21–18	$20,974/yr	1.7x
286	Art Academy of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH	17 20–17	$20,921/yr	1.3x
287	Moore College of Art and Design Philadelphia, PA	17 20–18	$20,587/yr	1.3x
288	Montserrat College of Art Beverly, MA	17 19–18	$19,865/yr	1.4x
289	American Academy of Art College Chicago, IL	17 19–17	$19,537/yr	1.3x
290	Pacific Northwest College of Art Portland, OR	16 18–17	$19,501/yr	0.9x

Highest Earning Design and Applied Arts Programs

Schools where Design and Applied Arts graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	DW Score
Carnegie Mellon University	$66,274/yr	47
University of Southern California	$64,846/yr	51
University of Washington-Seattle Campus	$63,449/yr	69
University of California-Los Angeles	$57,615/yr	67
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus	$52,694/yr	69
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	$52,526/yr	61
Utah State University	$52,431/yr	43
Interior Designers Institute	$51,188/yr	41
Wentworth Institute of Technology	$50,599/yr	49
University of Wisconsin-Madison	$49,780/yr	58

Best ROI for Design and Applied Arts

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Design and Applied Arts.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	DW Score
Seminole State College of Florida	29.4x	$39,221/yr	50
University of Florida	27.8x	$43,144/yr	63
Western Carolina University	27.5x	$32,842/yr	46
Bellevue College	25.7x	$45,947/yr	56
California State University-Long Beach	23.2x	$37,395/yr	55
San Francisco State University	22.9x	$34,845/yr	53
University of North Georgia	22.9x	$26,823/yr	39
Fashion Institute of Technology	22.7x	$27,023/yr	43
Florida State University	22.2x	$49,144/yr	61
Brigham Young University	21.8x	$33,915/yr	49

Want to compare two Design and Applied Arts programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Design and Applied Arts offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Design and Applied Arts graduates earn?

Across 290 schools, Design and Applied Arts graduates earn an average of $33,862 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $7,580 to $66,274 depending on the school.

What is the AI automation risk for Design and Applied Arts?

Design and Applied Arts is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 42% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means some career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.

Which school has the best Design and Applied Arts program?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), University of Washington-Seattle Campus ranks #1 for Design and Applied Arts with a score of 69/100 and graduate earnings of $63,449/yr.

What's the outlook for a Design and Applied Arts degree?

On average, Design and Applied Arts graduates earn 7.3x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →