Design and Applied Arts at School of Visual Arts

The first year after School of Visual Arts is sobering: $15,985 puts graduates well below poverty level, ranking in just the 10th percentile among New York design programs. That's less than half what graduates earn at comparable New York art schools like Pratt ($36,040) or Syracuse ($46,181). With $27,000 in debt—slightly above the state median—new graduates face a debt load nearly 1.7 times their first-year income, making even basic loan payments challenging during what appears to be an extended "struggle period."

The dramatic rebound to $40,870 by year four suggests many graduates eventually find their footing, likely after building portfolios and networks in New York's competitive creative industries. This 156% earnings growth is substantial, though the four-year mark still trails top New York design programs by $5,000-$10,000. The pattern hints at a program whose graduates pay their dues through freelance work, internships, or low-paid creative roles before establishing sustainable careers.

For families considering this investment, the question is whether your child can weather several years of financial precarity in one of America's most expensive cities. The robust sample size makes these outcomes reliable, not outliers. Unless your family can provide substantial support during those lean early years—or your child enters with exceptional connections—this path demands both talent and financial cushion to succeed.