Design and Applied Arts at Ball State University

Ball State's Design and Applied Arts program sits right in the middle of Indiana's design landscape—matching the state's median debt of $22,000 while delivering slightly better earnings at nearly $37,000. That's about $1,400 above the state median and $3,300 above the national average, placing graduates in the 60th percentile statewide. The 0.60 debt-to-earnings ratio means your child would owe about seven months of their first-year salary, which is manageable for a creative field where entry-level pay tends to be modest.

What stands out here is the combination of reasonable debt and above-average outcomes. While Notre Dame and Purdue graduates earn significantly more ($47K and $45K respectively), they also cost considerably more to attend. Ball State delivers solid value for an accessible price point—its 72% admission rate and one-third Pell Grant population suggest it's designed to be attainable. The program performs better than 65% of design programs nationally, which isn't elite but represents competent training that translates to employability.

The moderate sample size (30-100 graduates) provides reasonable confidence in these numbers. For a parent weighing options, this program won't produce top-tier design salaries, but it won't saddle your child with crushing debt either. If they're considering design school in Indiana and don't gain admission to Notre Dame or Purdue, Ball State offers a practical middle path with outcomes that exceed typical expectations for the field.