Graphic Communications at Middlesex College

That $20,483 first-year salary is troubling on its face—it's below national poverty guidelines for a family of three—but context matters here. Within New Jersey, Middlesex's graphic communications program actually performs at the median, suggesting this reflects broader market realities for associate-level design work in the state rather than program-specific weakness. The real concern is the national comparison: graduates here earn about $3,500 less than the typical associate's degree holder in this field nationwide, placing them in just the 25th percentile nationally.

The debt picture offers some relief. At $8,525, Middlesex keeps borrowing well below the national median of $11,626 for similar programs. That lower debt load means graduates face a more manageable 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio—they'd owe roughly five months of gross income. Still, you need to reckon with what that income can actually support: $20,483 won't stretch far in the New York metro area's cost structure, even with minimal debt.

The critical caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, making it statistically fragile. These numbers could shift significantly with the next cohort. For families considering this path, the central question isn't whether Middlesex delivers value—it's whether an associate's degree in graphic communications, regardless of where it's earned, provides sufficient earning power to justify even two years of forgone income and modest debt.