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Design and Applied Arts at Weber State University

Ogden, UT · Public · Bachelor's Degree
55 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
55
Optimistic
55
Base Case
58
Pessimistic
Earnings $40,507/yr (20% vs median)
AI Risk High (38% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (101,000 openings/yr)
ROI 21.3x earnings multiple (8.0x out-of-state)
Ranked #17 of 290 Design and Applied Arts programs Top 10%

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 $550K $545K $511K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 21.5x 21.3x 20.0x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 8.0x 8.0x 7.5x
Probability of Field Employment 63% 57% 46%
DegreeOutlook Score 55 55 58

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$25,564
Out-of-state: $68,336 (8.0x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$42,888
-68% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$20,500
6.1 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$54,898
36% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

Graduates earn $40,507/yr, edging above the $33,862 national average for Design and Applied Arts — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.

Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 21.3x 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 7% gap from the optimistic case.

Median debt of $20,500 represents roughly 6 months of the $40,507 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.

Ranked #17 of 290 programs, Weber State University's Design and Applied Arts program falls in the top 10%, outperforming most peers on financial outcomes.

Earnings grow from $40,507 to $54,898 over five years — a 36% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career progression.

About Weber State University

with a mid-sized student body of 15,619 in Ogden, UT.

See all programs and financial aid at Weber State University →

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)

Compare Design and Applied Arts

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

Other Majors at Weber State University

Construction Management ($82,914) Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians ($75,281) Computer and Information Sciences, General ($74,865) Computer Science ($72,486) Management Information Systems and Services ($72,473) Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications ($71,941) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($69,537) Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions ($67,576)

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 Weber State University?
A score of 55/100 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 $510,912 in decade earnings vs $549,880 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →