Computer Software and Media Applications at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design graduates start well below what other Colorado tech programs deliver—$37,268 versus a state median of nearly $50,000. That's bottom-quartile performance (25th percentile) among Colorado's computer software programs, and substantially trails University of Colorado Colorado Springs grads who earn $62,000 in their first year. The $44,806 debt load compounds this gap, creating a situation where graduates owe more than their first-year salary.

The positive development is the 31% earnings jump to $48,625 by year four, suggesting graduates eventually gain traction in the market. However, that still only brings them to roughly what Colorado peers earn immediately after graduation. Nearly half the student body receives Pell grants, meaning many families here are stretching financially to cover costs that significantly exceed the national debt benchmark of $27,000 for this major.

For Colorado families, this represents a tough proposition: paying private-school debt levels while getting entry-level outcomes that trail state university alternatives by $25,000 annually. If your child is set on RMCAD's creative curriculum, budget for several lean early years while they build experience. Otherwise, public options in Colorado deliver stronger immediate returns at lower cost.