Program Analysis
Starting salaries of $23,358/yr fall 31% below the $33,862 national median for Design and Applied Arts. The financial case depends heavily on whether tuition compensates.
The financial case is thin at 1.9x — decade earnings barely exceed the cost of attendance. The value proposition here is driven by factors beyond pure ROI.
Some AI exposure exists in Design and Applied Arts's typical career paths, with 38% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a -4% gap from the optimistic case.
Median debt of $27,000 against $23,358/yr in first-year earnings means roughly 1.2 years of salary goes to loan repayment. That's a heavy but not crushing debt load.
Ranked #267 of 290 Design and Applied Arts programs, Cleveland Institute of Art falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.