Design and Applied Arts at Samford University

Samford's Design and Applied Arts program leaves its graduates earning less than peers at Alabama's other major universities—around $41,300 versus $44,000-$47,000 at Auburn and UA. While that puts them well above the national median for design programs, within Alabama they're performing below the state average. Given that most students attend in-state for cost reasons, the more relevant comparison is the latter.

The debt picture is reasonable at $25,000, slightly better than both state and national medians, creating a manageable 0.60 debt-to-earnings ratio. First-year earnings cover the total debt load about 1.7 times over, which gives graduates breathing room in a notoriously low-paying creative field. The program does punch above its weight nationally—outearning 83% of similar programs—but that speaks more to how poorly design degrees typically pay than to exceptional outcomes here.

The major caveat: fewer than 30 graduates means one or two outliers can skew these numbers significantly. If your student is seriously considering design at Samford, they should ask the department directly about graduate outcomes, typical career paths, and whether the program has particular strengths (branding, UX, interior design) that might justify the tuition. Otherwise, Auburn delivers better earnings at a likely lower in-state price point.