Design and Applied Arts at Middle Tennessee State University

Middle Tennessee State's design program delivers first-year earnings of $38,807—well above both the state and national medians for this degree. That figure puts graduates ahead of most Tennessee design programs, trailing only UT-Chattanooga among schools with reported data. For a bachelor's degree from a mid-tier public university, these outcomes suggest the program is doing something right in preparing students for Tennessee's creative economy.

The debt picture, while estimated from peer institutions, appears manageable. Similar programs nationally carry about $26,880 in median debt, and if MTSU's graduates face comparable borrowing, the 0.67 debt-to-earnings ratio means repayment should be feasible on a designer's starting salary. This isn't the financial stress you'd see in programs where debt eclipses first-year income.

The caveat parents should understand: because graduate numbers are small, the debt figure is extrapolated from comparable schools rather than MTSU-specific data. The earnings, however, are real—these are actual outcomes for this program's graduates. That combination—verified strong earnings and estimated reasonable debt—suggests solid value, but you'll want to confirm actual borrowing costs through the financial aid office before committing. For students serious about design careers in Tennessee, this program appears positioned to deliver without crushing them financially.