ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Design and Applied Arts worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 116 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$194,433 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−169%Estimated return after 10 years
$37,065Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$169,355
$8,000Annual price−$185,355
$13,000Current college-wide context−$195,355
$16,000Annual price−$201,355
$24,000Annual price−$217,355
$32,000Annual price−$233,355
$40,000Annual price−$249,355
Outcomes at a glance
$37,065Typical earnings four years after completion
$35,889Average earnings five years after completion
$15,000Typical federal student debt
14thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
7Degrees awarded in 2024–25
110College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 3 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Design and Applied Arts
How much do Design and Applied Arts associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $37,065 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $15,000. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Design and Applied Arts?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $34,242 to $41,159 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Design and Applied Arts?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $38,351
- Federal debt
- $13,414
- Programs in the comparison
- 35
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $37,065
- Federal debt
- $15,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 116
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $52,204
- Federal debt
- $26,977
- Programs in the comparison
- 338
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $69,930
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 21
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $70,550
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 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$34,242National median$37,06575th percentile$41,159
110 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
The New School
$66,896 four years after completionNew York, NY · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtCollege of DuPage
$10,653 among completer borrowersGlen Ellyn, IL · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classFashion Institute of Technology
749 reported awards in 2024–25New York, NY · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$50,264Observed year-4 earnings$40,966
The New School$58,741 price · $66,896 earningsPortland Community College$10,405 price · $50,811 earningsCollege of DuPage$7,401 price · $50,264 earningsWaukesha County Technical College$11,101 price · $49,509 earningsMinneapolis Community and Technical College$13,812 price · $48,952 earningsCUNY New York City College of Technology$5,127 price · $48,833 earningsJohnson County Community College$14,176 price · $48,084 earningsCentral Piedmont Community College$3,345 price · $47,967 earningsMadison Area Technical College$14,238 price · $47,515 earningsMiddlesex Community College$2,624 price · $47,167 earningsScottsdale Community College$13,336 price · $46,898 earningsDunwoody College of Technology$26,939 price · $46,361 earningsFashion Institute of Technology$19,095 price · $45,096 earningsArapahoe Community College$11,571 price · $44,888 earningsCUNY LaGuardia Community College$6,120 price · $44,831 earningsNew England Institute of Technology$36,483 price · $44,313 earningsAlexandria Technical & Community College$13,691 price · $44,165 earningsSaint Louis Community College$8,440 price · $43,874 earningsSeattle Central College$8,819 price · $43,416 earningsSeminole State College of Florida$8,970 price · $43,175 earningsOklahoma State University Institute of Technology$10,999 price · $43,131 earningsMetropolitan Community College Area$4,982 price · $42,343 earningsSpokane Falls Community College$7,409 price · $42,113 earningsWake Technical Community College$8,759 price · $41,986 earningsOwens Community College$10,369 price · $41,595 earningsAustin Community College District$6,390 price · $41,552 earningsNorthampton County Area Community College$12,119 price · $41,282 earningsNorthern Virginia Community College$9,919 price · $41,159 earningsPalm Beach State College$9,182 price · $40,966 earningsSalt Lake Community College$9,804 price · $40,740 earnings
$3,345Annual college-wide average net price$26,939
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1The New School$66,8962Portland Community College$50,8113College of DuPage$50,2644Waukesha County Technical College$49,5095Minneapolis Community and Technical College$48,9526CUNY New York City College of Technology$48,8337Johnson County Community College$48,0848Central Piedmont Community College$47,9679Madison Area Technical College$47,51510Middlesex Community College$47,167Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$78,620 median wage93,560 jobs nationwide+2.2% projected growth through 2035 · 8,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$47,570–$163,350 typical wage rangeGraphic Designers$62,960 median wage197,830 jobs nationwide-1.7% projected growth through 2035 · 16,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$39,520–$104,910 typical wage rangeCommercial and Industrial Designers$83,910 median wage33,490 jobs nationwide+2.4% projected growth through 2035 · 2,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$53,460–$139,770 typical wage rangeArtists and Related Workers, All Other$71,240 median wage6,930 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 1,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credential$36,580–$136,660 typical wage rangeDesigners, All Other$64,950 median wage9,480 jobs nationwide+1.2% projected growth through 2035 · 2,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$43,030–$129,110 typical wage rangeWeb and Digital Interface Designers$104,000 median wage113,330 jobs nationwide+6.0% projected growth through 2035 · 8,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$53,750–$201,550 typical wage rangeSpecial Effects Artists and Animators$102,030 median wage19,970 jobs nationwide-0.3% projected growth through 2035 · 4,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$58,600–$177,110 typical wage rangeSet and Exhibit Designers$75,240 median wage10,630 jobs nationwide+1.4% projected growth through 2035 · 2,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$41,750–$135,410 typical wage rangeArt Directors$114,850 median wage53,070 jobs nationwide+4.2% projected growth through 2035 · 12,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$64,900–$213,050 typical wage rangeArchitecture Teachers, Postsecondary$96,870 median wage7,700 jobs nationwide+2.6% projected growth through 2035 · 700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$58,430–$159,030 typical wage rangeFashion Designers$80,960 median wage21,450 jobs nationwide+0.1% projected growth through 2035 · 2,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$39,490–$146,870 typical wage rangePostsecondary Teachers, All Other$77,640 median wage149,840 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 12,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$44,300–$160,700 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
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.