Design and Applied Arts at Liberty University

Liberty's Design and Applied Arts program underperforms most alternatives, both nationally and within Virginia. Graduates earn $30,019 in their first year—about $3,600 less than the state median and $3,500 below the national average. Within Virginia's design programs, this ranks in just the 40th percentile, trailing schools like Longwood, Radford, and even VCU despite similar debt levels. Virginia Tech graduates in this field earn 56% more starting out.

The debt picture adds to the concern. While $26,000 seems manageable, it represents nearly a full year's starting salary, and that's an issue when competing programs deliver similar debt loads with significantly better earnings. The 21% earnings growth to $36,375 by year four helps, but graduates are still playing catch-up. For context, Longwood graduates start where Liberty graduates end up after four years.

This program serves a largely non-selective institution where nearly 40% of students receive Pell grants, so affordability matters. But affordability isn't just about debt—it's about the ability to service that debt with your income. For families considering this investment, exploring Virginia's public universities or specialized art schools would likely provide better value. If Liberty is the choice for other reasons (perhaps religious mission or existing institutional connections), students should enter with realistic expectations about starting salaries and consider whether they can supplement their education with internships or portfolio work that might close the earnings gap.