Certificate (under 1 year)+10% vs national median232 grads tracked
Design and Applied Arts at College Of DuPage
Ranked 6th of 32 certificate (under 1 year) programs in Design and Applied Arts by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$30,926
middle 50%: $22,174 – $45,751
Median · 5 years out
$47,502
middle 50%: $34,351 – $66,338
Median · 10 years out
$64,930
middle 50%: $37,592 – $76,015
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Design and Applied Arts (certificate (under 1 year)) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Certificate holders in Design and Applied Arts begin with a $31k median salary. Ten-year median earnings increase to $65k.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
8.8 yrs
≈ $10,812 total interest
Same major at other universities
North Lake College
$51,929 · 5 yrs out
Portland Community College
$50,311 · 5 yrs out
Collin County Community College District
$46,571 · 5 yrs out
Brookhaven College
$46,055 · 5 yrs out
Columbus State Community College
$45,053 · 5 yrs out
Houston Community College
$44,849 · 5 yrs out
San Jacinto Community College District
$44,087 · 5 yrs out
Trident Technical College
$43,227 · 5 yrs out
Minnesota State Community and Technical College
$41,887 · 5 yrs out
Des Moines Area Community College
$41,244 · 5 yrs out
Sinclair Community College
$40,944 · 5 yrs out
Austin Community College
$40,037 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at College Of DuPage
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$105,399 · 5 yrs out
Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$105,399 · 5 yrs out
Fire Protection (Certificate)
$90,582 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Associate)
$87,221 · 5 yrs out
Engineering, General (Associate)
$86,855 · 5 yrs out
Fire Protection (Associate)
$81,833 · 5 yrs out
Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications (Certificate)
$81,462 · 5 yrs out
Geography and Cartography (Certificate)
$80,415 · 5 yrs out
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) (Associate)
$80,258 · 5 yrs out
Social Sciences (Certificate)
$79,787 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate)
$78,118 · 5 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Certificate)
$77,087 · 5 yrs out