Best Design and Applied Arts Degrees in the US by ROI
Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Programs Analyzed
96
Colleges with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
-$307,062
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$19,990
Cost of attendance
| # | College | State | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
County College of Morris
Grad rate: 34.0% |
NJ | +$87,722 | $47,849 | $14,629 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
The New School
Grad rate: 70.2% |
NY | -$5,948 | $51,410 | $82,757 | $21,211 | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
Ferris State University
Grad rate: 48.6% |
MI | -$69,812 | $41,116 | $26,066 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
Dallas College
Grad rate: 35.1% |
TX | -$70,059 | $40,260 | $9,641 | $11,835 | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
Front Range Community College
Grad rate: 28.6% |
CO | -$109,794 | $38,319 | $18,087 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
Arapahoe Community College
Grad rate: 26.7% |
CO | -$114,926 | $38,901 | $16,348 | $15,000 | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
Utah Valley University
Grad rate: 40.0% |
UT | -$126,844 | $37,175 | $15,172 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
Scottsdale Community College
Grad rate: 23.1% |
AZ | -$130,084 | $37,464 | $19,682 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
Dakota County Technical College
Grad rate: 49.5% |
MN | -$139,184 | $36,620 | $15,792 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
Wake Technical Community College
Grad rate: 31.3% |
NC | -$139,336 | $36,713 | $16,798 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
Chemeketa Community College
Grad rate: 22.1% |
OR | -$166,574 | $35,214 | $15,427 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 12 |
Bryant & Stratton College-Syracuse North
Grad rate: 29.8% |
NY | -$169,629 | $36,896 | $21,955 | $17,511 | Full ROI → |
| 13 |
Truckee Meadows Community College
Grad rate: 27.2% |
NV | -$170,188 | $35,078 | $15,874 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
Bryant & Stratton College-Greece
Grad rate: 24.3% |
NY | -$172,003 | $36,896 | $23,142 | $17,511 | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo
Grad rate: 29.4% |
NY | -$173,603 | $36,896 | $23,942 | $17,511 | Full ROI → |
| 16 |
Alexandria Technical & Community College
Grad rate: 60.9% |
MN | -$174,004 | $36,006 | $18,962 | $12,000 | Full ROI → |
| 17 |
Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa
Grad rate: 20.2% |
WI | -$176,503 | $36,896 | $25,392 | $17,511 | Full ROI → |
| 18 |
Sullivan University
Grad rate: 28.8% |
KY | -$187,400 | $35,740 | $31,100 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 19 |
Collin County Community College District
Grad rate: 19.8% |
TX | -$195,353 | $34,139 | $14,409 | $6,900 | Full ROI → |
| 20 |
Century College
Grad rate: 21.0% |
MN | -$200,598 | $34,491 | $15,084 | $15,000 | Full ROI → |
| 21 |
Southeast Community College Area
Grad rate: 28.6% |
NE | -$210,238 | $32,720 | $12,319 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 22 |
Fashion Institute of Technology
Grad rate: 83.3% |
NY | -$211,364 | $35,215 | $29,732 | $12,000 | Full ROI → |
| 23 |
Des Moines Area Community College
Grad rate: 34.0% |
IA | -$213,121 | $33,830 | $15,664 | $13,625 | Full ROI → |
| 24 |
Macomb Community College
Grad rate: 13.9% |
MI | -$227,513 | $32,405 | $10,719 | $10,500 | Full ROI → |
| 25 |
Pratt Institute-Main
Grad rate: 74.4% |
NY | -$227,726 | $39,077 | $76,533 | $12,000 | Full ROI → |
| 26 |
Vincennes University
Grad rate: 34.1% |
IN | -$231,632 | $32,363 | $19,446 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 27 |
Gwinnett Technical College
Grad rate: 29.1% |
GA | -$242,001 | $33,090 | $19,078 | $18,997 | Full ROI → |
| 28 |
The Modern College of Design
Grad rate: 58.4% |
OH | -$249,197 | $34,445 | $45,336 | $5,500 | Full ROI → |
| 29 |
Waukesha County Technical College
Grad rate: 46.8% |
WI | -$249,959 | $31,980 | $14,281 | $15,554 | Full ROI → |
| 30 |
Harford Community College
Grad rate: 33.3% |
MD | -$253,440 | $30,757 | $14,290 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 31 |
Johnson County Community College
Grad rate: 28.4% |
KS | -$260,705 | $31,779 | $18,946 | $13,625 | Full ROI → |
| 32 |
Austin Community College District
Grad rate: 16.1% |
TX | -$265,589 | $31,182 | $11,156 | $19,939 | Full ROI → |
| 33 |
Sullivan County Community College
Grad rate: 23.2% |
NY | -$270,986 | $30,120 | $16,693 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 34 |
Nashville State Community College
Grad rate: 16.7% |
TN | -$272,108 | $29,716 | $13,214 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 35 |
Northampton County Area Community College
Grad rate: 21.2% |
PA | -$275,789 | $30,861 | $16,211 | $15,250 | Full ROI → |
| 36 |
Cecil College
Grad rate: 27.5% |
MD | -$276,018 | $29,710 | $15,109 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 37 |
New England Institute of Technology
Grad rate: 54.1% |
RI | -$278,150 | $33,747 | $48,445 | $12,000 | Full ROI → |
| 38 |
Nassau Community College
Grad rate: 22.2% |
NY | -$280,984 | $30,057 | $13,907 | $10,600 | Full ROI → |
| 39 |
Niagara County Community College
Grad rate: 31.3% |
NY | -$282,530 | $29,228 | $13,545 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 40 |
Portland Community College
Grad rate: 17.8% |
OR | -$283,203 | $30,749 | $17,271 | $17,512 | Full ROI → |
| 41 |
Gateway Technical College
Grad rate: 45.6% |
WI | -$286,793 | $30,167 | $14,604 | $15,500 | Full ROI → |
| 42 |
Elgin Community College
Grad rate: 38.9% |
IL | -$288,274 | $28,570 | $9,837 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 43 |
Western Technical College
Grad rate: 40.7% |
WI | -$288,692 | $29,934 | $15,548 | $12,057 | Full ROI → |
| 44 |
Onondaga Community College
Grad rate: 24.8% |
NY | -$289,180 | $29,672 | $14,613 | $9,922 | Full ROI → |
| 45 |
CUNY Kingsborough Community College
Grad rate: 25.2% |
NY | -$290,356 | $28,782 | $12,998 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 46 |
San Antonio College
Grad rate: 23.7% |
TX | -$292,692 | $28,523 | $11,576 | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 47 |
Delgado Community College
Grad rate: 19.3% |
LA | -$297,859 | $30,337 | $19,137 | $19,500 | Full ROI → |
| 48 |
Sinclair Community College
Grad rate: 31.2% |
OH | -$299,772 | $28,792 | $10,381 | $11,000 | Full ROI → |
| 49 |
The North Coast College
Grad rate: 32.6% |
OH | -$306,360 | $26,682 | N/A | N/A | Full ROI → |
| 50 |
Fox Valley Technical College
Grad rate: 55.2% |
WI | -$307,399 | $29,314 | $15,647 | $16,582 | Full ROI → |
How ROI is calculated
20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.
Find Best Design and Applied Arts Degrees by State
Browse Design and Applied Arts programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.