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Design and Applied Arts at Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Atlanta, GA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
69 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
69
Optimistic
69
Base Case
68
Pessimistic
Earnings $52,694/yr (56% vs median)
AI Risk High (38% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (101,000 openings/yr)
ROI 17.3x earnings multiple (6.2x out-of-state)
Ranked #1 of 290 Design and Applied Arts programs Top 1%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Design and Applied Arts graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $843K $814K $728K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 17.9x 17.3x 15.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 6.4x 6.2x 5.5x
Probability of Field Employment 63% 57% 46%
DegreeOutlook Score 69 69 68

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$47,056
Out-of-state: $131,504 (6.2x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$53,156
-13% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$26,354
6.0 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$91,029
73% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

At $52,694 per year, Design and Applied Arts graduates from Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus significantly outpace the $33,862 national average for this major, reflecting strong employer demand for this program's graduates.

Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 17.3x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Design and Applied Arts programs nationally.

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 14% gap from the optimistic case.

Median debt of $26,354 represents roughly 6 months of the $52,694 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.

Ranked #1 of 290 Design and Applied Arts programs nationally, Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus sits in the top 1% — one of the strongest programs in the country by financial outcomes.

Five-year earnings of $91,029 show a 73% jump from the $52,694 starting point — strong upward trajectory suggesting real career acceleration.

About Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

A 16% acceptance rate puts Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus in competitive admissions territory, serving 18,260 students in Atlanta, GA.

See all programs and financial aid at Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus →

Top Career Paths

Art directors $111,040/yr
Architecture teachers, postsecondary $101,480/yr
Special effects artists and animators $99,800/yr
View all 14 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 290 schools offering Design and Applied Arts →

Design and Applied Arts at Other Schools

Carnegie Mellon University ($66,274) University of Southern California ($64,846) University of Washington-Seattle Campus ($63,449) University of California-Los Angeles ($57,615) University of Cincinnati-Main Campus ($52,526) Utah State University ($52,431) Interior Designers Institute ($51,188) Wentworth Institute of Technology ($50,599)

Compare Design and Applied Arts

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus vs University of Washington-Seattle Campus → Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus vs University of California-Los Angeles → Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus vs University of Cincinnati-Main Campus →

Other Majors at Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Computer and Information Sciences, General ($105,137) Computer Engineering ($93,629) Industrial Engineering ($87,826) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($86,865) Chemical Engineering ($85,847) Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering ($79,300) Mechanical Engineering ($78,862) Radio, Television, and Digital Communication ($76,507)

Is a Trade Program a Better Fit?

Compare Design and Applied Arts trade programs on TradeSchoolWorth →

For students who prefer applied learning, trade programs can deliver strong earnings with significantly less debt and shorter time to employment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Design and Applied Arts at Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus?
A score of 69/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Design and Applied Arts field.
Will AI replace Design and Applied Arts careers?
With 38% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $727,818 in decade earnings vs $842,878 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
What makes Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus's Design and Applied Arts program stand out?
Ranked #1 of 290 programs nationally, Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus lands in the top 1%. The ranking reflects a combination of graduate earnings, return on investment, and job market alignment.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →