Design and Applied Arts at San Diego State University

San Diego, CA · Bachelor's Degree

$31,459
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$54,569
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$51,490
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#128 of 299
Rank by pay
#182 of 299
Rank, wage-adjusted
$13,832
Median federal debt

San Diego State University graduates in design and applied arts earn 6% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 25% of one year’s pay at that point.

How San Diego State University Compares for Design and Applied Arts

All 299 colleges reporting design and applied arts earnings at this degree level, ranked by median pay four years after graduation. “Wage-adjusted” divides pay by the square root of the state’s wage index so colleges in low-wage states aren’t penalized for local pay.

#College4 yrs afterWage-adjustedAdj. rank1 yr after
1Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA$138,588$140,945#1$66,274
2Lawrence Technological University Southfield, MI$99,444$104,852#2—
3Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA$95,697$99,066#3$52,694
4University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA$89,193$82,038#6$63,449
5University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA$89,022$81,004#7$64,846
6Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY$87,358$83,147#5$36,191
7Northeastern University Boston, MA$87,336$76,908#10$49,727
8University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN$83,414$89,488#4$46,825
9Chapman University Orange, CA$78,121$71,085#21$46,519
10Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA$76,093$69,240#26$47,053
…
125Mercy University Dobbs Ferry, NY$54,725$52,087#155—
126Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN$54,642$52,195#154$40,231
127Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN$54,630$58,608#98$26,421
128San Diego State University San Diego, CA$54,569$49,654#182$31,459
129Champlain College Burlington, VT$54,561$56,039#118$38,264
130Saint Edward's University Austin, TX$54,297$55,204#127$30,589
131Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH$54,274$57,918#104$35,645

Other Majors at San Diego State University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$120,799$100,221#18 of 966
Computer Engineering$116,842$76,812#46 of 189
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$106,416$75,061#48 of 258
Computer Science$100,586$74,523#167 of 349
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician$100,564$81,608#6 of 43
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$100,139$74,375#20 of 59
Mechanical Engineering$97,825$69,754#56 of 318
Civil Engineering$95,865$73,584#17 of 233
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering$88,417$66,482#4 of 46
Finance and Financial Management Services$88,136$53,373#120 of 452
Computer and Information Sciences$86,613$54,244#217 of 459
Statistics$83,076$57,734#31 of 50
Marketing$81,368$48,229#66 of 516
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$81,122$45,360#5 of 49
Accounting and Related Services$80,011$57,157#254 of 796
Chemistry$74,676$43,603#41 of 209
Economics$74,123$44,125#232 of 368
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences$73,647$41,351#9 of 138
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences$73,095$35,624#27 of 156
Hospitality Administration/Management$70,113$40,009#13 of 137
Business Administration, Management and Operations$69,902$46,275#380 of 1176
Applied Mathematics$69,606$42,856#39 of 45
International Business$69,141$38,138#77 of 115
Biology$68,861$33,597#116 of 841
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$67,414$44,197#58 of 178
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services$66,649—#2 of 70
Political Science and Government$64,824$38,060#203 of 565
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$61,510$22,378#74 of 215
Communication and Media Studies$61,389$37,773#136 of 660
Public Health$60,904$41,092#83 of 215

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do San Diego State University design and applied arts graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $31,459 one year after graduating and $54,569 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does San Diego State University rank for design and applied arts?

Among 299 colleges reporting earnings for design and applied arts graduates, San Diego State University ranks #128 by median pay four years after graduation, and #182 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is design and applied arts at San Diego State University worth it?

Its graduates earn 6% more than the national median for design and applied arts ($51,490), and the median federal debt at graduation is $13,832.

← All data for San Diego State University · Methodology

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled; programs with few graduates are not reported. Wage adjustment uses Census ACS state median household income.