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Other Design & Applied Arts

Types of Degrees Other Design & Applied Arts Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Other Design & Applied Arts can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Associate’s Degree	66
Bachelor’s Degree	1,178
Master’s Degree	383
Doctor’s Degree	12

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Design & Applied Arts?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 66.2% of Other Design & Applied Arts degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,086	66.2%
Men	554	33.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Other Design & Applied Arts graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	595	36.3%
Asian	260	15.9%
Hispanic or Latino	337	20.5%
Black or African American	152	9.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.2%
Two or More Races	79	4.8%
Race Unknown	54	3.3%
International Students	152	9.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Design & Applied Arts Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Other Design & Applied Arts graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,054
4 years	$41,389
5 years	$46,982

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $46,982 — roughly 47% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Other Design & Applied Arts Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Other Design & Applied Arts. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	2	2
Master’s	4	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Other Design & Applied Arts Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Other Design & Applied Arts graduates earn a median of $41,389 four years after completion — roughly 9% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Design and Applied Arts	50.04
Commercial and Advertising Art	50.0402
Commercial Photography	50.0406
Design and Visual Communications, General	50.0401
Fashion/Apparel Design	50.0407
Game and Interactive Media Design	50.0411
Graphic Design	50.0409
Illustration	50.0410
Industrial and Product Design	50.0404
Interior Design	50.0408

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.