Design and Applied Arts at University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA · Bachelor's Degree · about 67 graduates a year

$64,846
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$89,022
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$51,490
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#5 of 299
Rank by pay
#7 of 299
Rank, wage-adjusted
$18,000
Median federal debt

University of Southern California graduates in design and applied arts earn 73% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 20% of one year’s pay at that point.

How University of Southern California 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

Other Majors at University of Southern California by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Computer Science$192,897$137,284#15 of 349
Computer Engineering$166,369—#8 of 189
Real Estate$143,977$98,763#1 of 25
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$131,532$89,684#9 of 258
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$125,514$78,980#1 of 59
Accounting and Related Services$121,101$73,903#6 of 796
Computer Software and Media Applications$115,839$103,071#4 of 54
Industrial Engineering$112,150$87,807#7 of 94
Business Administration, Management and Operations$109,128$71,668#16 of 1176
Real Estate Development$107,292$49,353—
Civil Engineering$106,308$85,262#4 of 233
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning$106,094—#1 of 17
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$105,415$80,508#17 of 118
Mechanical Engineering$104,649$83,356#20 of 318
Applied Mathematics$101,094$71,622#18 of 45
Chemical Engineering$100,646$68,234#50 of 158
Engineering-Related Fields$96,120$73,234#9 of 33
Economics$94,435$57,060#85 of 368
Cognitive Science$93,440$34,295#7 of 19
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions$91,726$69,479#2 of 76
Public Health$89,522$36,300#3 of 215
Neurobiology and Neurosciences$89,203$38,063#3 of 67
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$87,946$50,041#3 of 178
International Relations and National Security Studies$84,866$52,262#12 of 118
History$79,940$36,876#12 of 459
Journalism$79,776$44,651#4 of 187
Architectural Sciences and Technology$78,741$47,874#4 of 22
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$78,731—#3 of 265
Communication and Media Studies$75,864$47,651#20 of 660
Political Science and Government$75,090$38,063#66 of 565

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do University of Southern California design and applied arts graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $64,846 one year after graduating and $89,022 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does University of Southern California rank for design and applied arts?

Among 299 colleges reporting earnings for design and applied arts graduates, University of Southern California ranks #5 by median pay four years after graduation, and #7 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is design and applied arts at University of Southern California worth it?

Its graduates earn 73% more than the national median for design and applied arts ($51,490), and the median federal debt at graduation is $18,000.

← All data for University of Southern California · 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.