Design and Applied Arts at Sam Houston State University

Sam Houston State's Design and Applied Arts program delivers something rare: above-average earnings with below-average debt. Graduates earn nearly $40,000 right out of the gate—outpacing three-quarters of design programs nationwide and landing solidly in the middle of Texas programs. More importantly, they carry just $29,000 in debt, less than 92% of comparable programs nationally. That creates a manageable debt burden of 0.73 times first-year earnings, well below the concerning thresholds that plague many arts degrees.

The catch is flat earnings—graduates see essentially no income growth between year one and year four. While Houston and UT Austin grads pull ahead by $7,000-8,000, Sam Houston graduates plateau early. For a program at an accessible institution (85% admission rate, serving a substantial Pell population), this could represent either a stable floor or a limited ceiling, depending on career trajectory.

The sample size here matters: with fewer than 30 graduates in this cohort, a handful of outcomes can swing these numbers significantly. Still, the debt-to-earnings fundamentals work. If your child is Texas-bound and considering design work, they'll graduate with less financial pressure than most peers—just understand the trade may involve slower career advancement compared to flagship programs.