Program directoryPROGRAM-CATEGORY PAYOFF

Design and Applied Arts associate's degree outcomes at Northampton County Area Community College

Bethlehem, PA · Public · Federal field 5004

Data scope

Federal records group outcomes by college, four-digit field and credential level. A record may cover several catalog programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to the same-degree benchmark.

$3,155 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Debt pressure
36.9% of annual earnings
Positive-payoff price ceiling
Not reached
10-year scenario
−133% · Negative payoff
Price evidence
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$41,282 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.

+61%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$19,022$30,533
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
Not availableWorking in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
17Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
20Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2023–24 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.

156Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
24Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
107Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
69Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$35,274Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$41,282$6,008 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.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$12,119

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

02 · BORROWING$15,250

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$41,282

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$162/mo

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

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$12,119Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$18,119Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATENot availableInstitution context
COMPLETION RATE23.6%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.

$19,022Year 1
$41,282Year 4
$30,533Year 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$3,440
Estimated loan payment$162
20borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$41,282 vs. $38,127

$3,155 above 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$77,280 median wagePA estimate · 4,170 jobs · 25-1121+2.2% projected U.S. growth · 8k openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeGraphic Designers$60,730 median wagePA estimate · 8,150 jobs · 27-1024-1.7% projected U.S. growth · 16k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeArtists and Related Workers, All Other$86,260 median wagePA estimate · 100 jobs · 27-1019+2.0% projected U.S. growth · 1.1k openings/yrTypical entry: No formal educational credentialCommercial and Industrial Designers$82,610 median wagePA estimate · 770 jobs · 27-1021+2.4% projected U.S. growth · 2.8k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeDesigners, All Other$72,760 median wagePA estimate · 9,480 jobs · 27-1029+1.2% projected U.S. growth · 2.1k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeWeb and Digital Interface Designers$104,160 median wagePA estimate · 2,820 jobs · 15-1255+6.0% projected U.S. growth · 8.3k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSpecial Effects Artists and Animators$71,760 median wagePA estimate · 300 jobs · 27-1014-0.3% projected U.S. growth · 4.2k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSet and Exhibit Designers$59,670 median wagePA estimate · 120 jobs · 27-1027+1.4% projected U.S. growth · 2.2k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeArchitecture Teachers, Postsecondary$101,740 median wagePA estimate · 440 jobs · 25-1031+2.6% projected U.S. growth · 0.7k openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeArt Directors$97,450 median wagePA estimate · 1,250 jobs · 27-1011+4.2% projected U.S. growth · 12.2k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePostsecondary Teachers, All Other$65,400 median wagePA estimate · 12,100 jobs · 25-1199+2.0% projected U.S. growth · 12.5k openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeFashion Designers$63,840 median wagePA estimate · 320 jobs · 27-1022+0.1% projected U.S. growth · 2.5k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's 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.

Nanticoke, PA

Luzerne County Community College

$2,686 lower annual net price

Earnings
$39,244
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$9,433
View outcomes →
Schnecksville, PA

Lehigh Carbon Community College

$2,916 lower annual net price

Earnings
$36,208
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$9,203
View outcomes →
Glen Ellyn, IL

College of DuPage

$8,982 higher earnings · $4,597 less debt · $4,718 lower annual net price

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

Middlesex Community College

$5,885 higher earnings · $2,495 less debt · $9,495 lower annual net price

Earnings
$47,167
Debt
$12,755
Annual net price
$2,624
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

17 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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