Design and Applied Arts at Art Academy of Cincinnati

The Art Academy of Cincinnati leaves graduates earning $20,921 their first year—less than minimum wage for full-time work and roughly $13,000 below Ohio's median for design programs. While earnings climb to $31,105 by year four, that's still 25% below what the typical Ohio design graduate makes and $13,000 shy of Miami University or University of Dayton grads at the same stage. Ranking in just the 5th percentile nationally means 95% of design programs nationwide produce better-earning graduates.

The $27,000 debt load looks manageable on paper, sitting near both state and national medians for design programs. But paired with sub-$21,000 first-year earnings, graduates face real financial strain. That's equivalent to earning $10 per hour while owing more than a year's gross income—a challenging position for building financial independence in your early twenties, particularly in a field where freelance work and unpredictable income are common.

If your child is set on the Art Academy specifically for its focused curriculum or particular faculty, understand they'll likely earn $15,000-20,000 less annually than peers at Cincinnati or Ohio State. The program serves many lower-income students (48% receive Pell grants), but families should seriously explore whether those larger public universities offer similar creative programs at comparable or lower net cost with significantly stronger earnings outcomes.