Home › University of Wisconsin-Parkside › Design and Applied Arts

Design and Applied Arts at University of Wisconsin-Parkside

Kenosha, WI · Public · Bachelor's Degree
41 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
42
Optimistic
41
Base Case
47
Pessimistic
Earnings $36,920/yr (9% vs median)
AI Risk High (38% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (101,000 openings/yr)
ROI 14.4x earnings multiple (6.9x out-of-state)
Ranked #94 of 290 Design and Applied Arts programs Top 50%

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 $449K $453K $436K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 14.3x 14.4x 13.9x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 6.8x 6.9x 6.6x
Probability of Field Employment 63% 57% 46%
DegreeOutlook Score 42 41 47

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$31,420
Out-of-state: $65,988 (6.9x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$40,176
-28% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$23,276
7.6 months of Year 1 earnings

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $36,920 at University of Wisconsin-Parkside come in 9% above the national median of $33,862 for Design and Applied Arts programs.

Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 14.4x 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 3% gap from the optimistic case.

Median debt of $23,276 represents roughly 8 months of the $36,920 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.

At #94 of 290 Design and Applied Arts programs, University of Wisconsin-Parkside scores above the median — competitive but not a standout.

About University of Wisconsin-Parkside

University of Wisconsin-Parkside accepts 73% of applicants — an open-access institution by design, a smaller institution with 2,951 students in Kenosha, WI.

See all programs and financial aid at University of Wisconsin-Parkside →

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) Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus ($52,694) University of Cincinnati-Main Campus ($52,526) Utah State University ($52,431) Interior Designers Institute ($51,188)

Other Majors at University of Wisconsin-Parkside

Computer Science ($64,354) Management Information Systems and Services ($53,588) Health and Medical Administrative Services ($50,190) Accounting and Related Services ($47,648) Business/Commerce, General ($45,679) Criminal Justice and Corrections ($42,342) Marketing ($40,916) Communication and Media Studies ($37,107)

Consider the Trade Route?

Compare Design and Applied Arts trade programs on TradeSchoolWorth →

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Design and Applied Arts at University of Wisconsin-Parkside?
A score of 41/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Design and Applied Arts. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
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 $436,377 in decade earnings vs $449,191 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →