Design and Applied Arts at Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL · Bachelor's Degree · about 258 graduates a year
Columbia College Chicago graduates in design and applied arts earn 6% less than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 50% of one year’s pay at that point.
How Columbia College Chicago 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.
| # | College | 4 yrs after | Wage-adjusted | Adj. rank | 1 yr after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA | $138,588 | $140,945 | #1 | $66,274 |
| 2 | Lawrence Technological University Southfield, MI | $99,444 | $104,852 | #2 | — |
| 3 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA | $95,697 | $99,066 | #3 | $52,694 |
| 4 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | $89,193 | $82,038 | #6 | $63,449 |
| 5 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | $89,022 | $81,004 | #7 | $64,846 |
| 6 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY | $87,358 | $83,147 | #5 | $36,191 |
| 7 | Northeastern University Boston, MA | $87,336 | $76,908 | #10 | $49,727 |
| 8 | University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN | $83,414 | $89,488 | #4 | $46,825 |
| 9 | Chapman University Orange, CA | $78,121 | $71,085 | #21 | $46,519 |
| 10 | Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA | $76,093 | $69,240 | #26 | $47,053 |
| … | |||||
| 188 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ | $48,764 | $50,106 | #175 | $33,964 |
| 189 | California State University-Monterey Bay Seaside, CA | $48,639 | $44,258 | #239 | $30,378 |
| 190 | Bellevue University Bellevue, NE | $48,632 | $50,263 | #172 | $39,313 |
| 191 | Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL | $48,601 | $47,750 | #203 | $29,630 |
| 192 | University of the Incarnate Word San Antonio, TX | $48,472 | $49,282 | #188 | $27,986 |
| 193 | Carthage College Kenosha, WI | $48,431 | $50,395 | #168 | $35,511 |
| 194 | California State University-Dominguez Hills Carson, CA | $48,430 | $44,068 | #243 | — |
Other Majors at Columbia College Chicago by Graduate Pay
| Major | 4 yrs after | 1 yr after | Rank in major |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $66,798 | $39,794 | #61 of 178 |
| Marketing | $65,686 | $36,386 | #280 of 516 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $56,482 | $34,798 | #920 of 1176 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $54,357 | $24,191 | #53 of 158 |
| Journalism | $51,639 | $31,369 | #126 of 187 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | $50,592 | $23,844 | #17 of 43 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | $49,593 | $25,999 | #158 of 207 |
| American Sign Language | $45,619 | $33,775 | #10 of 20 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $44,703 | — | #90 of 103 |
| Graphic Communications | $43,970 | $26,309 | #29 of 59 |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians | $43,731 | $20,927 | #16 of 19 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $42,176 | $22,765 | #194 of 423 |
| Dance | $41,842 | — | #26 of 58 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $41,200 | $23,905 | #102 of 144 |
| Music | $40,734 | $19,943 | #174 of 268 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $39,986 | $17,929 | #130 of 255 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $39,751 | $25,060 | #116 of 137 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Columbia College Chicago design and applied arts graduates make?
Graduates earn a median $29,630 one year after graduating and $48,601 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
How does Columbia College Chicago rank for design and applied arts?
Among 299 colleges reporting earnings for design and applied arts graduates, Columbia College Chicago ranks #191 by median pay four years after graduation, and #203 after adjusting for state wage levels.
Is design and applied arts at Columbia College Chicago worth it?
Its graduates earn 6% less than the national median for design and applied arts ($51,490), and the median federal debt at graduation is $24,500.
← All data for Columbia College Chicago · 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.