Design and Applied Arts at Savannah College of Art and Design

SCAD's Design and Applied Arts program presents a challenging financial picture that demands careful consideration. With first-year earnings of $23,400—placing graduates in just the 5th percentile nationally—this program significantly underperforms both national ($33,563) and state ($26,331) medians. While the program performs better within Georgia (40th percentile), that's primarily because Georgia's design programs generally struggle compared to the national landscape.

The $27,000 debt load is actually reasonable for art school standards, sitting in the 25th percentile nationally and roughly matching state averages. However, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.15 means graduates will face significant financial pressure in their first year. The 66% earnings growth to $38,775 by year four provides some hope, eventually reaching competitive levels, but those early years will be financially challenging.

This program's value proposition hinges on SCAD's reputation and networking opportunities potentially paying off in the medium term. However, with such low initial earnings compared to the national field, graduates should have realistic financial expectations and possibly consider additional income sources early in their careers. If your child is passionate about design and willing to navigate several lean years while building their career, this could work—but it's definitely not a safe financial bet.