WhatGradsMake
Bachelor's-8% vs national median1,735 grads tracked

Design and Applied Arts at Appalachian State University

Ranked 73rd of 135 bachelor's programs in Design and Applied Arts by 5-year earnings.

Median · 1 year out
$37,592
middle 50%: $27,092 – $47,995
Median · 5 years out
$53,512
middle 50%: $40,397 – $68,788
Median · 10 years out
$63,124
middle 50%: $46,155 – $86,907

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

Graduates of Appalachian State University's bachelor's program in Design and Applied Arts earn a median $37,592 one year after graduating, rising to $63,124 by year ten. Five years out, earnings run 8% below the national median of $58,393 for this field, ranking 73rd of 135 reporting programs.

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
7.9 yrs
≈ $9,201 total interest

Same major at other universities

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
Sam Houston State University
$53,673 · 5 yrs out
Longwood University
$53,343 · 5 yrs out
Bowling Green State University
$53,339 · 5 yrs out
University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth
$53,320 · 5 yrs out
Salem State University
$53,279 · 5 yrs out
Georgia Southern University
$53,064 · 5 yrs out
Northern Arizona University
$52,982 · 5 yrs out

Other majors at Appalachian State University

Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$107,901 · 5 yrs out
Education (Doctorate)
$100,794 · 5 yrs out
Physical Sciences (Master's)
$91,987 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Bachelor's)
$91,478 · 5 yrs out
Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$91,478 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Master's)
$89,245 · 5 yrs out
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's)
$81,200 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)
$80,298 · 5 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)
$79,669 · 5 yrs out
Insurance (Bachelor's)
$76,492 · 5 yrs out
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's)
$74,662 · 5 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's)
$74,629 · 5 yrs out

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