Bachelor's · Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Is Design and Applied Arts at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 7.6 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $46,213
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $57,264
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $26,000
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $94k (likely $94k – $120k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $18k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in PA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 7.6 years (likely 6.2–10.2)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$105k (likely −$179k – −$53k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $127k (likely −$7k – $265k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 55%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 20%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare Design and Applied Arts at other schools
🎨 Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward art, design & performance majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP 2-D Art and Design
- AP Drawing
- AP Art History
- AP Music Theory
IB Higher Level
- Visual Arts HL
- Music HL or Theatre HL or Film HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
- Computer Science (Master's)$82,691
- Physics (Bachelor's)$74,813
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$74,677
- Biology, General (Bachelor's)$65,948
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's)$65,407
- Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's)$64,548
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's)$64,202
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's)$60,681
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's)$59,207
- Political Science and Government (Bachelor's)$58,347
- Social Work (Master's)$57,834
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's)$56,959
Design and Applied Arts at other schools in Pennsylvania
- Carnegie Mellon University$138,588
- Drexel University$66,294
- Temple University$60,782
- Thomas Jefferson University$59,731
- Susquehanna University$59,551
- Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona$58,105
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$58,105
- Pennsylvania College of Technology$53,796
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania$52,359
- York College of Pennsylvania$52,222