Design and Applied Arts: is this undergraduate certificate or diploma worth it?
National picture across 35 reporting college programs.
Personal baseline needed
$38,351 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$38,351Median year-4 earnings
$17,005Average institution net-price context
$13,414Median federal debt
Observed national outcomes
$38,351Median reported earnings · year 4
$53,543Average reported earnings · year 5
$13,414Median federal debt
26thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
35Reporting programs
33With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
CURRENT VIEW
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $38,351
- Federal debt
- $13,414
- Reporting programs
- 35
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $37,065
- Federal debt
- $15,000
- Reporting programs
- 116
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $52,204
- Federal debt
- $26,977
- Reporting programs
- 338
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $69,930
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 21
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $70,550
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$27,090National median$38,35175th percentile$50,921
33 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Gnomon$104,1512Miami Ad School-Atlanta$90,8123Miami Ad School$90,8124Miami Ad School-New York$90,8125Massachusetts College of Art and Design$71,9016San Diego City College$63,3597Columbus State Community College$50,9218Century College$50,6879Front Range Community College$49,48410Wake Technical Community College$41,857Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1121 · 6 crosswalk linksGraphic DesignersSOC 27-1024 · 4 crosswalk linksArtists and Related Workers, All OtherSOC 27-1019 · 3 crosswalk linksCommercial and Industrial DesignersSOC 27-1021 · 3 crosswalk linksDesigners, All OtherSOC 27-1029 · 3 crosswalk linksSet and Exhibit DesignersSOC 27-1027 · 2 crosswalk linksSpecial Effects Artists and AnimatorsSOC 27-1014 · 2 crosswalk linksWeb and Digital Interface DesignersSOC 15-1255 · 2 crosswalk linksArchitecture Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1031 · 1 crosswalk linksArt DirectorsSOC 27-1011 · 1 crosswalk linksFashion DesignersSOC 27-1022 · 1 crosswalk linksInterior DesignersSOC 27-1025 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | ROI status | Cost context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GnomonUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | North Hollywood, CA | $104,151 | $38,000 | Baseline needed | $51,949 |
| 2 | Miami Ad School-AtlantaUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Atlanta, GA | $90,812 | Not available | Baseline needed | $60,682 |
| 3 | Miami Ad SchoolUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Miami, FL | $90,812 | Not available | Baseline needed | $64,951 |
| 4 | Miami Ad School-New YorkUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Astoria, NY | $90,812 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 5 | Massachusetts College of Art and DesignUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Boston, MA | $71,901 | $19,000 | Baseline needed | $24,100 |
| 6 | San Diego City CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | San Diego, CA | $63,359 | Not available | Baseline needed | $7,935 |
| 7 | Columbus State Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Columbus, OH | $50,921 | Not available | Baseline needed | $8,400 |
| 8 | Century CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | White Bear Lake, MN | $50,687 | $15,000 | Baseline needed | $10,906 |
| 9 | Front Range Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Westminster, CO | $49,484 | $11,000 | Baseline needed | $13,031 |
| 10 | Wake Technical Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Raleigh, NC | $41,857 | $13,414 | Baseline needed | $8,759 |
| 11 | Ridgewater CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Willmar, MN | $41,332 | Not available | Baseline needed | $10,046 |
| 12 | Milwaukee Area Technical CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Milwaukee, WI | $40,366 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,112 |
| 13 | Central Piedmont Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Charlotte, NC | $39,933 | Not available | Baseline needed | $3,345 |
| 14 | College of DuPageUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Glen Ellyn, IL | $38,780 | $11,500 | Baseline needed | $7,401 |
| 15 | Western Iowa Tech Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Sioux City, IA | $38,351 | Not available | Baseline needed | $8,770 |
| 16 | Sessions CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Tempe, AZ | $37,727 | $22,719 | Baseline needed | $15,149 |
| 17 | Wayne Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Goldsboro, NC | $36,502 | Not available | Baseline needed | $2,245 |
| 18 | Guilford Technical Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Jamestown, NC | $35,628 | $11,500 | Baseline needed | $15,002 |
| 19 | Los Angeles Trade Technical CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Los Angeles, CA | $34,383 | Not available | Baseline needed | $12,323 |
| 20 | Tidewater Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Norfolk, VA | $30,658 | $8,070 | Baseline needed | $11,762 |
| 21 | Community Care CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Tulsa, OK | $27,090 | $10,941 | Baseline needed | $26,489 |
| 22 | Clary Sage CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Tulsa, OK | $27,090 | $10,941 | Baseline needed | $23,280 |
| 23 | Danville Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Danville, VA | $25,670 | Not available | Baseline needed | $6,669 |
| 24 | Liceo de Arte y TecnologiaUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | San Juan, PR | $25,273 | Not available | Baseline needed | $16,296 |
| 25 | Fayetteville Technical Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Fayetteville, NC | $24,406 | Not available | Baseline needed | $3,589 |
| 26 | Dallas CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Dallas, TX | $23,376 | Not available | Baseline needed | $3,214 |
| 27 | Academia Serrant IncUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Ponce, PR | $20,593 | Not available | Baseline needed | $9,254 |
| 28 | NUC UniversityUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Bayamon, PR | $18,438 | $5,750 | Baseline needed | $8,920 |
| 29 | Orange Technical CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Orlando, FL | $18,193 | Not available | Baseline needed | $10,525 |
| 30 | Full Sail UniversityUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Winter Park, FL | Not available | $38,750 | Baseline needed | $38,875 |
| 31 | University of Massachusetts-LowellUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Lowell, MA | Not available | $19,000 | Baseline needed | $17,163 |
| 32 | Miami Ad School-San FranciscoUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | , | $90,812 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 33 | The Creative CircusUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | , | $84,233 | $29,334 | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 34 | Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic ArtUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | , | $31,550 | $25,723 | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 35 | Columbia Central University-CaguasUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma | , | $18,438 | $5,750 | Baseline needed | Not available |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.