Most Selective Highest Earnings Best Value Free Tuition UK Universities

Best Schools for Design and Applied Arts

Design and Applied Arts graduates earn a median of $34,594 within two years of graduation, ranking #167 out of 292 tracked majors — 3% below the median across all fields. There are 311 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 19,444 recent graduates.

Where you study matters: Carnegie Mellon University graduates earn $89,859 while Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus graduates earn $11,234 — a $78,625 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap.

Early career salary growth is modest: Design and Applied Arts graduates see an average 5% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.

311
Schools
$34,594
Avg. 2yr Earnings
#167
of 292 Majors
19,444
Graduates

Public vs Private: Design and Applied Arts

Public (143 schools)
$35,833
avg. 2yr earnings
Private (133 schools)
$34,794
avg. 2yr earnings

Public schools produce comparable or higher early earnings for Design and Applied Arts, often at lower tuition — making them strong value options for this major.

Design and Applied Arts by State

New York
28 schools
$33,771
California
27 schools
$38,429
Texas
21 schools
$33,965
Pennsylvania
19 schools
$37,072
Ohio
16 schools
$35,890
Massachusetts
12 schools
$38,475
Michigan
11 schools
$38,022
Illinois
11 schools
$32,368

Top Design and Applied Arts Schools by Graduate Earnings

#1
C

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA · Private

$89,859
2yr Earnings
1yr: $85,041
Grads: 38
Acceptance: 11.4%
#2
N

Northeastern University

Boston, MA · Private

$59,124
2yr Earnings
1yr: $45,115
Grads: 53
Acceptance: 5.7%
#3
U

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA · Public

$57,318
2yr Earnings
1yr: $49,494
Grads: 22
Acceptance: 42.5%
#4
T

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX · Public

$55,151
2yr Earnings
1yr: $53,135
Grads: 36
Acceptance: 29.1%
#5
S

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA · Public

$52,524
2yr Earnings
1yr: $46,596
Grads: 50
Acceptance: 80.2%
#6
U

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA · Public

$52,107
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 25.6%
#7
C

Chapman University

Orange, CA · Private

$52,107
2yr Earnings
1yr: $44,707
Grads: 24
Acceptance: 55.6%
#8
S

State University of New York at New Paltz

New Paltz, NY · Public

$51,273
2yr Earnings
1yr: $29,623
Grads: 16
Acceptance: 58.7%
#9
A

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, CA · Private

$50,856
2yr Earnings
1yr: $40,017
Grads: 238
Acceptance: 75.0%
#10
U

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL · Public

$50,060
2yr Earnings
1yr: $43,267
Grads: 47
Acceptance: 24.0%
#11
W

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA · Private

$49,939
2yr Earnings
1yr: $50,498
Grads: 100
Acceptance: 85.4%
#12
C

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, CA · Private

$49,840
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 25.9%
#13
L

Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Kirkland, WA ·

$49,729
2yr Earnings
1yr: $34,296
Grads: 20
Acceptance: N/A
#14
G

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Atlanta, GA · Public

$49,527
2yr Earnings
1yr: $48,199
Grads: 36
Acceptance: 16.5%
#15
M

Marist University

Poughkeepsie, NY · Private

$49,270
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,263
Grads: 24
Acceptance: 64.7%
#16
L

Lawrence Technological University

Southfield, MI · Private

$48,432
2yr Earnings
1yr: $73,712
Grads: 24
Acceptance: 80.3%
#17
V

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA · Public

$48,198
2yr Earnings
1yr: $49,418
Grads: 48
Acceptance: 57.0%
#18
U

University of Delaware

Newark, DE · Public

$47,260
2yr Earnings
1yr: $43,865
Grads: 50
Acceptance: 65.1%
#19
T

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX · Private

$46,966
2yr Earnings
1yr: $46,701
Grads: 23
Acceptance: 42.6%
#20
G

George Washington University

Washington, DC · Private

$46,321
2yr Earnings
1yr: $42,306
Grads: 19
Acceptance: 43.5%
#21
W

Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA · Public

$46,087
2yr Earnings
1yr: $39,818
Grads: 83
Acceptance: 91.3%
#22
U

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI · Public

$45,919
2yr Earnings
1yr: $43,684
Grads: 26
Acceptance: 43.4%
#23
O

Ohio State University-Main Campus

Columbus, OH · Public

$45,794
2yr Earnings
1yr: $40,279
Grads: 60
Acceptance: 50.8%
#24
D

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA · Private

$45,477
2yr Earnings
1yr: $35,133
Grads: 258
Acceptance: 77.5%
#25
F

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL · Public

$45,435
2yr Earnings
1yr: $44,538
Grads: 41
Acceptance: 25.4%
#26
E

Endicott College

Beverly, MA · Private

$45,435
2yr Earnings
1yr: $44,958
Grads: 47
Acceptance: 72.3%
#27
U

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Cincinnati, OH · Public

$45,227
2yr Earnings
1yr: $50,148
Grads: 253
Acceptance: 87.7%
#28
W

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI · Public

$44,950
2yr Earnings
1yr: $34,068
Grads: 45
Acceptance: 84.7%
#29
U

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY · Public

$44,776
2yr Earnings
1yr: $45,726
Grads: 27
Acceptance: 92.4%
#30
S

Suffolk University

Boston, MA · Private

$44,551
2yr Earnings
1yr: $40,636
Grads: 30
Acceptance: 84.7%
#31
W

Washington State University

Pullman, WA · Public

$44,356
2yr Earnings
1yr: $42,683
Grads: 29
Acceptance: 85.4%
#32
P

Portland State University

Portland, OR · Public

$44,021
2yr Earnings
1yr: $36,317
Grads: 106
Acceptance: 90.9%
#33
U

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN · Public

$43,984
2yr Earnings
1yr: $40,607
Grads: 130
Acceptance: 77.0%
#34
C

College for Creative Studies

Detroit, MI · Private

$43,798
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,087
Grads: 221
Acceptance: 92.8%
#35
D

Dunwoody College of Technology

Minneapolis, MN · Private

$43,798
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 98.5%
#36
M

Miami University-Oxford

Oxford, OH · Public

$43,798
2yr Earnings
1yr: $39,292
Grads: 24
Acceptance: 82.1%
#37
S

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, WA · Private

$43,798
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,730
Grads: 31
Acceptance: 91.1%
#38
C

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA · Public

$43,519
2yr Earnings
1yr: $40,105
Grads: 208
Acceptance: 47.1%
#39
T

The College of New Jersey

Ewing, NJ · Public

$43,426
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 62.1%
#40
U

University of Houston

Houston, TX · Public

$43,426
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,297
Grads: 49
Acceptance: 69.5%
#41
T

The College of Saint Rose

Albany, NY · Private

$43,000
2yr Earnings
1yr: $34,736
Grads: 22
Acceptance: 73.4%
#42
A

Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Tempe, AZ · Public

$42,894
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,105
Grads: 216
Acceptance: 90.2%
#43
S

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX · Private

$42,728
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 61.2%
#44
U

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$42,682
2yr Earnings
1yr: $29,631
Grads: 20
Acceptance: 10.0%
#45
M

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO · Public

$42,682
2yr Earnings
1yr: $36,119
Grads: 54
Acceptance: 99.1%
#46
I

Indiana University-Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN · Public

$42,682
2yr Earnings
1yr: $36,737
Grads: 23
Acceptance: 81.4%
#47
B

Boston University

Boston, MA · Private

$42,682
2yr Earnings
1yr: $46,444
Grads: 24
Acceptance: 10.8%
#48
T

Temple University

Philadelphia, PA · Public

$42,682
2yr Earnings
1yr: $43,047
Grads: 61
Acceptance: 82.9%
#49
C

Clemson University

Clemson, SC · Public

$42,156
2yr Earnings
1yr: $41,708
Grads: 105
Acceptance: 38.0%
#50
O

Otis College of Art and Design

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$42,123
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,497
Grads: 118
Acceptance: 84.0%

Showing top 50 of 311 schools. View all or filter by state above.

Majors with Similar Earnings

Urban Studies/Affairs $34,682 Criminal Justice and Corrections $34,646 Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology $34,495 Political Science and Government $34,411 Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics $34,305 Public Health $34,211

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Design and Applied Arts?
Carnegie Mellon University ranks #1 for Design and Applied Arts with median graduate earnings of $89,859 within two years. There are 311 schools nationwide offering this major with tracked earnings data.
How much do Design and Applied Arts graduates earn?
Design and Applied Arts graduates earn an average of $34,594 within two years of graduation. This is near the median across all majors. Earnings range from $11,234 to $89,859 depending on the school.
How hard is it to get into a top Design and Applied Arts program?
The average acceptance rate across Design and Applied Arts programs is 74.4%. The most selective program is at Northeastern University with a 5.7% acceptance rate. Competitive programs value strong math/analytical skills and relevant coursework.
Is a public or private school better for Design and Applied Arts?
Private Design and Applied Arts programs average $34,794 in early earnings vs $35,833 at public schools. Public schools offer competitive earnings at typically lower cost, making them strong value options.

Data updated June 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders.

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