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Design and Applied Arts associate's degree at Des Moines Area Community College

Ankeny, IA · Public

What this page covers

Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to similar programs.

$1,131 below the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings
36.8% of annual earnings
Highest price with a positive payoff
Not reached
Modeled 10-year payoff
−171% · Negative payoff
Available price data
College-wide context only
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.

What stays fixed$36,996 observed annual earnings · 2 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is this college’s institution-wide average net price, not the exact price of this program category. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

+77%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$25,265 → $44,720
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
20Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
20Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
38Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

198Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
33Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
113Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
74Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
31.2%Federal-aid non-completion rate2022–23 program cohort · 54 non-completers
25Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$36,082Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$36,996$914 above the preliminary benchmark

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$11,171

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWING$13,625

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$36,996

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$144/mo

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE PROGRAM REPORTS

5 related offerings reported to the Department of Labor

These provider-reported records add named prices, completion and employment context where available. They describe a separate workforce-program cohort and may include non-degree training, so they are not blended into the College Scorecard earnings or DegreeVerdict ROI.

Interactive Media for Graphic Design Certificate · CIP 50.0402

Interactive Media for Graphic Design Certificate

Reported price
$1,371
Completion
51.0%
Employed in Q2
75.0%
Q2 quarterly earnings
$6,747
This program provides in-person instruction only.
Digital Illustration Certificate · CIP 50.0402

Digital Illustration Certificate

Reported price
$1,912
Completion
Not reported
Employed in Q2
Not reported
Q2 quarterly earnings
Not available
This program provides in-person instruction only.
Visual Communication Certificate · CIP 50.0402

Visual Communication, Certificate

Reported price
$3,090
Completion
Not reported
Employed in Q2
Not reported
Q2 quarterly earnings
Not available
This is a hybrid or blended program providing both in-person and online instruction.
Graphic Design Associate of Applied Science (AAS) · CIP 50.0402

Graphic Design AAS

Reported price
$16,282
Completion
Not reported
Employed in Q2
Not reported
Q2 quarterly earnings
Not available
This is a hybrid or blended program providing both in-person and online instruction.
Photography AAS · CIP 50.0406

Photography, AAS

Reported price
$17,577
Completion
17.0%
Employed in Q2
44.0%
Q2 quarterly earnings
$6,062
This is a hybrid or blended program providing both in-person and online instruction.
Program year 2022. Quarterly earnings are not annual salary. Suppressed values appear as “Not reported.” Source: U.S. Department of Labor TrainingProviderResults.gov. Showing 5 of 5 related records.
WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

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AVERAGE NET PRICE$11,171Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$16,204Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATENot availableInstitution context
COMPLETION RATE39.2%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$25,265Year 1
$36,996Year 4
$44,720Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

4.7% of gross monthly earnings

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$3,083
Estimated loan payment$144
38borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$36,996 vs. $38,127

$1,131 below the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$77,740 median wageIA estimate · 910 jobs · 25-1121$61,370–$102,090 middle 50% of IA wages+2.2% projected U.S. growth · 8,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeGraphic Designers$50,310 median wageIA estimate · 2,100 jobs · 27-1024$44,610–$63,640 middle 50% of IA wages-1.7% projected U.S. growth · 16,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeCommercial and Industrial Designers$70,420 median wageIA estimate · 440 jobs · 27-1021$60,200–$85,010 middle 50% of IA wages+2.4% projected U.S. growth · 2,800 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeDesigners, All Other$64,950 median wageU.S. estimate · 70 jobs · 27-1029+1.2% projected U.S. growth · 2,100 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeArtists and Related Workers, All Other$39,550 median wageIA estimate · 70 jobs · 27-1019$33,850–$43,060 middle 50% of IA wages+2.0% projected U.S. growth · 1,100 openings/yrTypical entry: No formal educational credentialWeb and Digital Interface Designers$69,060 median wageIA estimate · 670 jobs · 15-1255$48,330–$84,220 middle 50% of IA wages+6.0% projected U.S. growth · 8,300 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSet and Exhibit Designers$50,640 median wageIA estimate · 60 jobs · 27-1027$50,640–$61,270 middle 50% of IA wages+1.4% projected U.S. growth · 2,200 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSpecial Effects Artists and Animators$47,530 median wageIA estimate · 19,970 jobs · 27-1014$42,580–$60,980 middle 50% of IA wages-0.3% projected U.S. growth · 4,200 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeFashion Designers$80,960 median wageU.S. estimate · 21,450 jobs · 27-1022+0.1% projected U.S. growth · 2,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeArt Directors$80,940 median wageIA estimate · 280 jobs · 27-1011$70,770–$106,910 middle 50% of IA wages+4.2% projected U.S. growth · 12,200 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeArchitecture Teachers, Postsecondary$79,100 median wageIA estimate · 80 jobs · 25-1031$63,570–$101,770 middle 50% of IA wages+2.6% projected U.S. growth · 700 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreePostsecondary Teachers, All Other$71,680 median wageIA estimate · 1,480 jobs · 25-1199$48,620–$88,360 middle 50% of IA wages+2.0% projected U.S. growth · 12,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degree
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Waterloo, IA

Hawkeye Community College

$1,799 higher earnings · $1,522 lower annual net price

Earnings
$38,795
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$9,649
View outcomes →
Glen Ellyn, IL

College of DuPage

$13,268 higher earnings · $2,972 less debt · $3,770 lower annual net price

Earnings
$50,264
Debt
$10,653
Annual net price
$7,401
View outcomes →
Bedford, MA

Middlesex Community College

$10,171 higher earnings · $870 less debt · $8,547 lower annual net price

Earnings
$47,167
Debt
$12,755
Annual net price
$2,624
View outcomes →
Sanford, FL

Seminole State College of Florida

$6,179 higher earnings · $2,958 less debt · $2,201 lower annual net price

Earnings
$43,175
Debt
$10,667
Annual net price
$8,970
View outcomes →
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DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

20 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

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