by our College Data Analytics Team
[Design And Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a design and applied arts degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find where design and applied arts graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose design and applied arts graduates go on to earn the most.
Cecil College earned the #1 spot for highest-paid design and applied arts graduates in Maryland. Located in the rural area of North East, Cecil College is a public institution. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from Cecil College typically earn about $32,214 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in design and applied arts will find them at Stevenson University, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Owings Mills, Stevenson University is a private not-for-profit institution. Design And Applied Arts graduates of Stevenson University earn a median of about $54,362 a year early in their careers.
Maryland Institute College Of Art came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying design and applied arts schools. Maryland Institute College Of Art is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore. Design And Applied Arts graduates of Maryland Institute College Of Art earn a median of about $51,848 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Maryland Baltimore County earned it the #4 place for design and applied arts. Set in the suburb of Baltimore, University Of Maryland Baltimore County is a public institution. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from University Of Maryland Baltimore County typically earn about $38,986 annually.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries design and applied arts graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 4 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.