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 5 schools to find where design and applied arts graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send design and applied arts graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Our analysis ranked Creighton University the top school for design and applied arts graduate earnings in Nebraska. Located in the city of Omaha, Creighton University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from Creighton University typically earn about $59,760 annually.
A rank of #2 makes Southeast Community College Area one of the highest-paying schools for design and applied arts. Set in the city of Lincoln, Southeast Community College Area is a public institution. Design And Applied Arts graduates of Southeast Community College Area earn a median of about $38,706 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #3 makes Bellevue University one of the highest-paying schools for design and applied arts. Located in the suburb of Bellevue, Bellevue University is a private not-for-profit institution. Design And Applied Arts graduates of Bellevue University earn a median of about $48,642 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #4 makes Metropolitan Community College Area one of the highest-paying schools for design and applied arts. Located in the city of Omaha, Metropolitan Community College Area is a public institution. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from Metropolitan Community College Area make a median of around $36,677 per year.
University Of Nebraska Lincoln produces some of the highest-paid graduates in design and applied arts, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the city of Lincoln, University Of Nebraska Lincoln is a public institution. Design And Applied Arts graduates of University Of Nebraska Lincoln earn a median of about $38,585 a year early in their careers.
The ranking above is published 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 · 5 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.