Design and Applied Arts

Bachelor's degree · Design Institute of San Diego · San Diego, CA

CIP 50.04

$34,589Median earnings 1 year after graduating
—Median earnings 3 years after
—Median earnings 5 years after
$44,191Median federal debt
16Graduates per year

How this program compares

Graduates of the bachelor's degree program in Design and Applied Arts at Design Institute of San Diego earn a median of $34,589 one year after completing the program. Nationally, bachelor's degree graduates in this field earn a median of $51,490 four years after graduating (middle half: $33,006–$70,612). Median debt is $44,191, about 128% of first-year earnings – more than a full year of pay.

Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's degree) at other California schools

CollegeEarnings (1 yr)Median debt
University of Southern California
Los Angeles
$64,846$18,000
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles
$57,615$19,000
Interior Designers Institute
Newport Beach
$51,188$26,057
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena
$47,053$31,000
Chapman University
Orange
$46,519$23,823
California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach
$37,395$16,500
Newschool of Architecture and Design
San Diego
$37,132$32,000
California State University-Northridge
Northridge
$36,736—
San Francisco State University
San Francisco
$34,845$15,000
University of California-Davis
Davis
$32,816$14,924
California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento
$32,240$15,750
Woodbury University
Burbank
$32,175$27,000
University of San Francisco
San Francisco
$32,070$27,000
San Diego State University
San Diego
$31,459$13,832
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles
$31,172$27,000

Highest-paying Design and Applied Arts programs nationwide →

Frequently asked questions

How much do Design and Applied Arts graduates from Design Institute of San Diego make?

The median salary is $34,589 one year after graduation.

How much student debt do graduates have?

Graduates who borrowed federal loans owe a median of $44,191.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release (Field of Study data). Earnings are for graduates who received federal financial aid.