Design and Applied Arts at Wentworth Institute of Technology

Wentworth's Design and Applied Arts program delivers remarkable returns that justify its private school investment. While graduates carry $27,000 in debt—exactly the state median—their first-year earnings of $50,599 dwarf both the Massachusetts median ($31,037) and national median ($33,563) by roughly 60%. This program ranks in the 95th percentile both nationally and statewide, effectively tying with elite Boston competitors like Northeastern and BU despite Wentworth's far less selective admissions (85% acceptance rate versus their sub-20% rates).

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.53 means graduates typically earn nearly twice what they owe, making this one of the more affordable paths to a design career. Earnings growth to $61,703 by year four shows sustained career momentum—a 22% increase that suggests employers value Wentworth's hands-on, industry-focused training. The moderate sample size (30-100 graduates) provides reasonable confidence in these figures without raising red flags about program viability.

For anxious parents worried about art school being a financial gamble, Wentworth offers something unusual: elite-tier outcomes without elite-tier selectivity or crushing debt loads. Your child gets Boston's design market access and employer connections at a fraction of the risk you'd face at comparable private institutions.