Design and Applied Arts at North Central College

North Central's Design and Applied Arts graduates start significantly behind their peers—that $28,037 first-year salary falls short of Illinois' median ($30,083) and trails the national average ($33,563) by nearly $6,000. Among Illinois design programs, this ranks at the 40th percentile, meaning six out of ten similar state programs deliver better immediate outcomes. The $22,000 debt load offers some consolation, coming in below both state and national medians, but the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78 means graduates still owe nearly 80% of their first year's salary.

The dramatic earnings jump to $47,107 by year four tells a more optimistic story, suggesting that early-career struggles give way to solid mid-term prospects. However, the sample size here is small—fewer than 30 graduates—which means a few outliers could be skewing these numbers considerably. When top Illinois programs like Illinois State ($39,287) and Judson ($37,466) deliver 40% higher starting salaries, you have to ask whether North Central's eventual growth makes up for the difficult early years.

For a family considering this program, the key question is cash flow: can your child manage on $28,000 while servicing $22,000 in debt? The trajectory looks promising, but those first few years will be tight, and the small sample means there's less certainty these numbers will hold for future graduates.