Design and Applied Arts at Johnson County Community College

Johnson County Community College's Design and Applied Arts program earns its graduates $32,030 in their first year—beating the national median by 15%, though landing squarely in the middle among Kansas schools. What makes this outcome more interesting is the price tag: at $13,625 in debt, students here are borrowing nearly $8,000 less than the Kansas median for this degree. That's real money saved for an outcome that matches what other Kansas programs deliver.

The earnings trajectory is steady rather than spectacular, growing 11% to reach $35,517 by year four. This program won't make your child wealthy, but design and applied arts associate's degrees rarely do—the national median for this field sits below $28,000. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43 means graduates face manageable payments relative to their income, a situation made easier by borrowing nearly half the Kansas average.

For a student committed to design and planning to stay in Kansas, this program offers middle-of-the-pack earnings potential at a below-average price. The lower debt matters more than the moderate earnings—your child will have financial flexibility their peers at other Kansas schools won't have, even if the starting salary isn't noticeably higher.