Bachelor's-5% vs national median242 grads tracked
Design and Applied Arts at Fitchburg State University
Ranked 65th of 135 bachelor's programs in Design and Applied Arts by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$37,517
middle 50%: $27,441 – $47,255
Median · 5 years out
$55,520
middle 50%: $40,613 – $67,426
Median · 10 years out
$70,870
middle 50%: $52,636 – $101,194
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Design and Applied Arts (bachelor's) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Design and Applied Arts graduates from Fitchburg State University see a first-year median salary of $38k. Earnings grow to $56k by year five and reach $71k after ten years.
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
7.6 yrs
≈ $8,953 total interest
Same major at other universities
Southern Utah University
$56,877 · 5 yrs out
Utah Valley University
$56,877 · 5 yrs out
Texas Tech University
$56,170 · 5 yrs out
Iowa State University of Science & Technology
$55,987 · 5 yrs out
University of Wisconsin - Stout
$55,974 · 5 yrs out
East Carolina University
$55,650 · 5 yrs out
University of Missouri - Saint Louis
$55,464 · 5 yrs out
CUNY Queens College
$55,464 · 5 yrs out
Radford University
$55,444 · 5 yrs out
Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
$55,307 · 5 yrs out
Virginia Commonwealth University
$54,230 · 5 yrs out
Minnesota State University Moorhead
$53,776 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Fitchburg State University
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$117,423 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Master's)
$105,099 · 5 yrs out
Education (Master's)
$92,988 · 5 yrs out
Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$92,467 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Bachelor's)
$88,859 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)
$88,859 · 5 yrs out
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's)
$83,958 · 5 yrs out
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's)
$82,827 · 5 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's)
$82,210 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Bachelor's)
$82,142 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Bachelor's)
$80,729 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics (Bachelor's)
$80,729 · 5 yrs out