Design and Applied Arts graduates from California College of the Arts earn $86,129 median salary — above the national average for this program.
Design and Applied Arts at California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California • Master's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Design and Applied Arts at California College of the Arts
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for California College of the Arts and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Design and Applied Arts at the master's credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program — not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 26 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at California College of the Arts, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $86,129 represent Treasury-verified wages approximately one year after program completion, drawn from Social Security Administration records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Compared to the national mean of $64,591 across all institutions offering Design and Applied Arts, graduates here earn above the national average for this program. Across all programs at California College of the Arts, the mean median-earnings figure is $72,989, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. Median federal debt is not separately reported for this program at this school.. Program-level debt and earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard FOS release, updated annually.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Design and Applied Arts at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois Institute of Technology | $144,324 | — |
| Liberty University | $112,935 | $30,991 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | $106,421 | $64,233 |
| Rhode Island School of Design | $93,136 | — |
| The New School | $86,473 | $42,587 |
| California College of the Arts (this school) | $86,129 | — |
| Pratt Institute-Main | $82,883 | $123,755 |
| Drexel University | $80,986 | — |
| George Washington University | $75,210 | $75,495 |
| Maryland Institute College of Art | $73,348 | $39,905 |
Other Programs at California College of the Arts
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $157,122 | $81,257 |
| Human Computer Interaction | $149,149 | $27,125 |
| Design and Applied Arts (current) | $86,129 | — |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | $76,381 | $67,940 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $59,238 | $27,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $57,717 | $51,870 |
| Architecture | $56,776 | — |
| Architecture | $50,231 | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $44,012 | $27,000 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $35,060 | — |
Other Schools with Design and Applied Arts
Quick picks offering the same program — compare side by side
About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.