What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Design and Applied Arts at Carnegie Mellon University

This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Carnegie Mellon University 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 11 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at Carnegie Mellon University, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.

Median graduate earnings are not published for this program-school combination, which can reflect source reporting or privacy treatment. Compared to the national mean of $73,973 across all institutions offering Design and Applied Arts, graduates here earn at a level the national comparison cannot yet quantify. Across all programs at Carnegie Mellon University, the mean median-earnings figure is $127,724, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.

Debt signals complete the ROI picture. The median cumulative federal loan debt for Design and Applied Arts graduates at Carnegie Mellon University is $64,233, which translates to roughly $535 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Program-level debt and four-year post-completion earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard field-of-study snapshot retrieved in March 2026.