Design and Applied Arts at Rasmussen University-Wisconsin

The red flag here is debt: Rasmussen-Wisconsin charges graduates considerably more than other design programs while delivering below-average earnings. At $35,438, students carry 32% more debt than Wisconsin's median for design programs ($27,000), yet earn just $32,482—nearly $4,000 less than the typical Wisconsin design graduate. This lands in the 40th percentile statewide, meaning six out of ten comparable programs in the state produce better earnings outcomes. The top Wisconsin programs like UW-Madison and UW-Stout deliver 50-60% higher starting salaries, suggesting a clear hierarchy that places Rasmussen toward the bottom.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.09 means graduates owe more than their entire first year's salary—a threshold that makes loan repayment genuinely difficult on a design income. For context, UW-Stout graduates earn $40,615 with similar debt loads, creating a far more manageable financial picture. With 57% of Rasmussen students receiving Pell grants, this high-debt/modest-earnings combination hits financially vulnerable students particularly hard.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) adds uncertainty, but the pattern is concerning enough to warrant serious consideration of alternatives. Wisconsin offers multiple public university design programs that cost less and demonstrably pay more. Unless there are compelling personal circumstances—like needing Rasmussen's specific scheduling flexibility—the in-state public options represent substantially better financial value for a design degree.