Design and Applied Arts at Nazareth University

Nazareth's Design and Applied Arts program lands right at the national median for earnings—$33,461 after one year—which might sound unremarkable until you consider it actually outperforms 60% of New York programs in the same field. That's a meaningful distinction in a state where the typical design graduate earns about $1,600 less annually. The program keeps debt moderate at $23,250, resulting in a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69, though that debt level still sits higher than three-quarters of comparable programs nationally.

The caveat here is sample size: fewer than 30 graduates were tracked, so individual circumstances could be skewing these numbers significantly. What we can say is that while you won't see the $46,000 starting salaries of Syracuse grads, you're also avoiding the crushing debt loads that sometimes accompany higher-ranked art schools. For a program at an 80% acceptance rate institution, these outcomes suggest solid execution without the premium price tag.

For families weighing design programs in New York, this represents a middle-ground option—not spectacular, but performing above the state median with debt that won't derail early career years. Just recognize that the small sample means next year's numbers could tell a different story.