Design and Applied Arts at Illinois State University

Illinois State's design program punches above its weight in a field notorious for low starting salaries. With graduates earning $39,287 in their first year—80th percentile among Illinois design programs and beating the state median by nearly $10,000—this stands out as one of the stronger options in the state. Only Judson University posts marginally higher earnings among Illinois schools, while ISU outperforms even prestigious University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates in this field.

The debt picture requires some attention: $24,986 is manageable but sits slightly above the ideal threshold given first-year earnings. That 0.64 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe about eight months of their gross salary, which is workable but leaves less cushion than ideal for creative fields where freelance work and income variability are common. The relatively modest debt load—below both state and national medians—helps here.

For families concerned about return on investment in arts education, this program delivers tangible results. ISU's accessibility (89% admission rate, reasonable tuition as a public university) combined with above-average earnings outcomes creates a realistic path forward. The gap between what ISU graduates earn versus the typical Illinois design graduate is substantial enough to matter when managing student loans and building a career.