What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Design and Applied Arts
Design and Applied Arts is tracked across 140 U.S. postsecondary institutions in the College Scorecard field-of-study file, which links CIP code classifications from IPEDS to Treasury earnings records. This profile covers the master's credential level specifically, because the Department of Education reports program-level outcomes separately for associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral awards. The CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) taxonomy lets analysts roll up specialties into broader families, which is why earnings medians across schools can be compared on a common basis.
Across all reporting institutions, the mean of school-level medians is $64,591, calculated from 35 schools with published earnings data. The earnings distribution stretches from $25,658 at the low end to $144,324 at the top, with a 25th-75th percentile band between $45,500 and $75,210 around a median of $63,427. The top-reporting institution in this program is Illinois Institute of Technology at $144,324. These numbers reflect earnings measured roughly a year after completion, using Social Security Administration tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants.
Variation across schools matters more than a single national figure. Completers counts reported per school indicate how many graduates’ earnings feed the median, which means small programs produce more volatile numbers. Median debt at the program level, when paired with earnings, yields a debt-to-earnings ratio that is the College Scorecard’s standard affordability signal — ratios under 1.0 indicate earnings exceed cumulative debt. Use the school-by-school table to spot institutions where Design and Applied Arts graduates out-earn peers at comparable cost, and to surface gainful-employment patterns that only become visible at the CIP-code level.
Maryland Institute College of Art accounts for 16.9% of all Design and Applied Arts master's credential graduates
That concentration — well above the 5% national median for largest-entity share — means Design and Applied Arts-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. That school produced 210 graduates in the most recent cohort, anchoring a meaningful slice of national supply for this field. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Design and Applied Arts master's credential median earnings varies 5.6× across entities
Design and Applied Arts master's credential median earnings ranges from $25,658 (lowest) to $144,324 (highest), a spread of $118,666. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme earnings stratification across institutions — graduates of the same field can earn dramatically different starting salaries depending on the school’s reputation, regional employer mix, and selectivity. Earnings are measured roughly one year after completion using IRS records linked to federal aid recipients (see https://www.irs.gov/) — not all completers are captured, but the school-level medians correlate strongly with longer-term earnings trajectories.
Design and Applied Arts master's credential median debt varies 7.6× across entities
Design and Applied Arts master's credential median debt ranges from $16,220 (lowest) to $123,755 (highest), a spread of $107,535. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme cost-of-attendance variation — students at the high end accumulate substantially more debt for the same credential, often without proportionally higher post-graduation earnings. Median debt counts only those students who borrowed federal loans — students who paid out-of-pocket or received institutional grants are excluded from the borrower median, which can flatter low-debt schools.
Design and Applied Arts debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.92 — near the typical range (US average ~1) — aligned with the typical 1:1 ratio that defines federal gainful-employment thresholds
debt-to-earnings ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: this ratio uses federal loan principal, not all education debt — private loans, parent PLUS loans not in the borrower’s name, and institutional debt are excluded Variation between sub-units within Design and Applied Arts is typically wider than the Design and Applied Arts-aggregate figure suggests.
How much do Design and Applied Arts graduates earn? ▼
Design and Applied Arts graduates earn $64,591 on average across 140 schools. Earnings range from $25,658 to $144,324 depending on the institution.
Which school pays the most for Design and Applied Arts? ▼
Illinois Institute of Technology has the highest reported median earnings for Design and Applied Arts graduates at $144,324, based on College Scorecard data.
What credential do you get in Design and Applied Arts? ▼
Design and Applied Arts programs typically award a Master's credential. Earnings vary by school and credential level.
Top Schools for Design and Applied Arts
Closest schools offering this program — compare earnings side by side
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Median earnings represent graduates who received federal financial aid, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid applicants. Completers count and debt figures reflect program-level data reported through IPEDS. Data is updated annually.