Design and Applied Arts at William Peace University

With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, these numbers are too shaky to base a major financial decision on, but the pattern they suggest isn't reassuring. William Peace's design graduates earn slightly less than the North Carolina median ($33,536 vs. $34,722) and fall well short of what students at NC State or East Carolina achieve in the same field. The $24,978 in typical debt is reasonable—below both state and national averages—but paired with below-median earnings, it still takes a significant bite out of entry-level paychecks.

The real concern is that North Carolina offers much stronger options for design education. NC State graduates earn 34% more in their first year, while UNC Greensboro and East Carolina both deliver substantially better outcomes. Given William Peace's 97% admission rate, students who can gain entry here likely have access to these more lucrative alternatives. The modest debt advantage doesn't offset the earnings gap when you're looking at a $6,000+ annual difference compared to mid-tier state schools.

The small sample size means one unusually successful or unsuccessful cohort could skew these figures significantly. If your child is set on William Peace for other reasons, request more detailed placement data directly from the program. Otherwise, the public universities in North Carolina appear to offer better returns for design students.