Design and Applied Arts at Baylor University

Baylor's design program manages the rare feat of pairing relatively modest debt ($26,500) with strong earnings growth—graduates move from $39,333 in year one to $51,121 by year four, a 30% jump that outpaces most creative fields. While year-one earnings sit just above the Texas median, that trajectory matters: most design graduates face either stagnant wages or the reality that their peak earning years come unusually early.

The program ranks in the 76th percentile nationally but the 60th percentile within Texas, which tells you something important: Texas has several stronger alternatives. UT Austin and University of Houston graduates earn $7,000-8,000 more right out of the gate, and even Texas State significantly outperforms Baylor initially. You're paying selective-university tuition (only 13% of students receive Pell grants) for middle-of-the-pack state results, though the debt load remains reasonable at 67% of first-year earnings.

The value proposition here hinges on that earnings growth curve. If your child thrives in Baylor's Christian university environment and builds strong client relationships or portfolio work, that four-year trajectory suggests solid career development. But if you're purely optimizing for design career outcomes in Texas, you've got at least four public universities delivering better early returns at lower cost.