Program Payoff

Design and Applied Arts programs in California

163 schools in California teach this, at certificate or associate level. 7 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $64,493 at Gnomon.

What this work pays in California

Postsecondary Teachers, All Other in California earn a median of $100,690 a year across 37,770 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.

Also leads toMedianJobs in California
Graphic Designers$75,13027,390
Web and Digital Interface Designers$136,11027,090
Art Directors$137,78012,430
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$99,4109,820
Interior Designers$80,2308,500

Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

Schools

SchoolCredentialMedian debtGraduate earnings, 2 yrsGraduates
Gnomon North Hollywood Undergraduate certificate $34,416 $64,493 (17 grads) 31
Interior Designers Institute Newport Beach Associate's degree $24,500 $33,993 (24 grads) 30
Academy of Art University San Francisco Associate's degree $31,937 $31,236 (77 grads) 7
Platt College-Los Angeles Alhambra Associate's degree — $29,685 (14 grads) —
Platt College-Ontario Ontario Associate's degree — $29,685 (14 grads) 12
Interior Designers Institute Newport Beach Undergraduate certificate — $28,598 (15 grads) —
Los Angeles Film School Hollywood Associate's degree — $22,846 (29 grads) —
Los Angeles Trade Technical College Los Angeles Undergraduate certificate — not published 45
Los Angeles Trade Technical College Los Angeles Associate's degree — not published 40
San Diego Mesa College San Diego Associate's degree — not published 16
Academy of Art University San Francisco Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Allan Hancock College Santa Maria Undergraduate certificate — not published 4
Allan Hancock College Santa Maria Associate's degree — not published 8
American River College Sacramento Undergraduate certificate — not published 3
American River College Sacramento Associate's degree — not published 14
Antelope Valley Community College District Lancaster Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Antelope Valley Community College District Lancaster Associate's degree — not published 0
Bakersfield College Bakersfield Undergraduate certificate — not published 6
Bakersfield College Bakersfield Associate's degree — not published 1
Berkeley City College Berkeley Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Butte College Oroville Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Butte College Oroville Associate's degree — not published 8
Cabrillo College Aptos Associate's degree — not published —
California College of ASU Los Angeles Associate's degree — not published 1
Canada College Redwood City Undergraduate certificate — not published 9
Canada College Redwood City Associate's degree — not published 5
Cerritos College Norwalk Associate's degree — not published 13
Chabot College Hayward Undergraduate certificate — not published 6
Chabot College Hayward Associate's degree — not published 4
Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga Undergraduate certificate — not published 12
Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga Associate's degree — not published 7
City College of San Francisco San Francisco Undergraduate certificate — not published 48
City College of San Francisco San Francisco Associate's degree — not published 23
Clovis Community College Fresno Associate's degree — not published —
College of Alameda Alameda Undergraduate certificate — not published 22
College of Alameda Alameda Associate's degree — not published 17
College of Marin Kentfield Undergraduate certificate — not published 3
College of Marin Kentfield Associate's degree — not published 1
College of San Mateo San Mateo Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
College of San Mateo San Mateo Associate's degree — not published 0
College of the Canyons Santa Clarita Undergraduate certificate — not published 33
College of the Canyons Santa Clarita Associate's degree — not published 31
College of the Desert Palm Desert Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
College of the Desert Palm Desert Associate's degree — not published 4
College of the Redwoods Eureka Undergraduate certificate — not published 4
College of the Sequoias Visalia Undergraduate certificate — not published 7
College of the Sequoias Visalia Associate's degree — not published 3
Cosumnes River College Sacramento Associate's degree — not published 0
Cuesta College San Luis Obispo Undergraduate certificate — not published 6
Cuesta College San Luis Obispo Associate's degree — not published 0
Cuyamaca College El Cajon Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Cuyamaca College El Cajon Associate's degree — not published 7
Cypress College Cypress Undergraduate certificate — not published 3
Cypress College Cypress Associate's degree — not published 3
De Anza College Cupertino Undergraduate certificate — not published 12
De Anza College Cupertino Associate's degree — not published 21
Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill Undergraduate certificate — not published 6
Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill Associate's degree — not published 7
East Los Angeles College Monterey Park Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
East Los Angeles College Monterey Park Associate's degree — not published 5
El Camino Community College District Torrance Undergraduate certificate — not published 2
Folsom Lake College Folsom Associate's degree — not published 0
Foothill College Los Altos Hills Undergraduate certificate — not published 10
Foothill College Los Altos Hills Associate's degree — not published 21
Fresno City College Fresno Undergraduate certificate — not published 7
Fresno City College Fresno Associate's degree — not published 9
Fullerton College Fullerton Undergraduate certificate — not published 19
Fullerton College Fullerton Associate's degree — not published 25
Glendale Community College Glendale Undergraduate certificate — not published 10
Glendale Community College Glendale Associate's degree — not published 0
Golden West College Huntington Beach Undergraduate certificate — not published 9
Golden West College Huntington Beach Associate's degree — not published 7
Irvine Valley College Irvine Undergraduate certificate — not published 19
Irvine Valley College Irvine Associate's degree — not published 8
Laguna College of Art and Design Laguna Beach Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Laney College Oakland Undergraduate certificate — not published 3
Laney College Oakland Associate's degree — not published 4
Las Positas College Livermore Undergraduate certificate — not published 8
Las Positas College Livermore Associate's degree — not published 4
Lassen Community College Susanville Associate's degree — not published 0
Long Beach City College Long Beach Undergraduate certificate — not published 8
Long Beach City College Long Beach Associate's degree — not published 7
Los Angeles City College Los Angeles Undergraduate certificate — not published 10
Los Angeles City College Los Angeles Associate's degree — not published 8
Los Angeles Harbor College Wilmington Undergraduate certificate — not published —
Los Angeles Mission College Sylmar Undergraduate certificate — not published 8
Los Angeles Mission College Sylmar Associate's degree — not published 4
Los Angeles Pacific College Los Angeles Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Los Angeles Pacific College Los Angeles Associate's degree — not published 7
Los Angeles Pierce College Woodland Hills Undergraduate certificate — not published 6
Los Angeles Pierce College Woodland Hills Associate's degree — not published 6
Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles Associate's degree — not published —
Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen Undergraduate certificate — not published 5
Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen Associate's degree — not published 8
Los Medanos College Pittsburg Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Los Medanos College Pittsburg Associate's degree — not published 16
Mendocino College Ukiah Associate's degree — not published 0
MiraCosta College Oceanside Undergraduate certificate — not published 6
Mission College Santa Clara Undergraduate certificate — not published 11
Mission College Santa Clara Associate's degree — not published 12
Modesto Junior College Modesto Associate's degree — not published 0
Monterey Peninsula College Monterey Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Monterey Peninsula College Monterey Associate's degree — not published 3
Moorpark College Moorpark Undergraduate certificate — not published 12
Moorpark College Moorpark Associate's degree — not published 23
Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles Associate's degree — not published —
Mt San Antonio College Walnut Undergraduate certificate — not published 50
Mt San Antonio College Walnut Associate's degree — not published 15
Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto Associate's degree — not published 22
Napa Valley College Napa Associate's degree — not published 10
New York Film Academy Burbank Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
New York Film Academy Burbank Associate's degree — not published 0
Norco College Norco Undergraduate certificate — not published 15
Norco College Norco Associate's degree — not published 13
Ohlone College Fremont Undergraduate certificate — not published 2
Ohlone College Fremont Associate's degree — not published 2
Orange Coast College Costa Mesa Undergraduate certificate — not published 37
Orange Coast College Costa Mesa Associate's degree — not published 25
Pacific Union College Angwin Associate's degree — not published 0
Palomar College San Marcos Undergraduate certificate — not published 23
Palomar College San Marcos Associate's degree — not published 28
Pasadena City College Pasadena Undergraduate certificate — not published 17
Pasadena City College Pasadena Associate's degree — not published 6
Platt College-Los Angeles Alhambra Undergraduate certificate — not published —
Porterville College Porterville Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Porterville College Porterville Associate's degree — not published 3
Rio Hondo College Whittier Undergraduate certificate — not published 17
Rio Hondo College Whittier Associate's degree — not published 6
Riverside City College Riverside Undergraduate certificate — not published 42
Sacramento City College Sacramento Undergraduate certificate — not published 2
Saddleback College Mission Viejo Undergraduate certificate — not published 62
Saddleback College Mission Viejo Associate's degree — not published 20
San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino Undergraduate certificate — not published 8
San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino Associate's degree — not published 16
San Diego City College San Diego Undergraduate certificate — not published 32
San Diego City College San Diego Associate's degree — not published 22
San Diego Mesa College San Diego Undergraduate certificate — not published 13
San Diego Miramar College San Diego Associate's degree — not published 0
San Joaquin Delta College Stockton Undergraduate certificate — not published 2
San Joaquin Delta College Stockton Associate's degree — not published 17
Santa Ana College Santa Ana Undergraduate certificate — not published 4
Santa Ana College Santa Ana Associate's degree — not published 3
Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara Undergraduate certificate — not published 13
Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara Associate's degree — not published 13
Santa Monica College Santa Monica Undergraduate certificate — not published 82
Santa Monica College Santa Monica Associate's degree — not published 46
Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa Undergraduate certificate — not published 25
Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa Associate's degree — not published 13
Santiago Canyon College Orange Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Santiago Canyon College Orange Associate's degree — not published 4
Shasta College Redding Undergraduate certificate — not published 7
Sierra College Rocklin Undergraduate certificate — not published 8
Sierra College Rocklin Associate's degree — not published 54
Solano Community College Fairfield Associate's degree — not published 0
Southwestern College Chula Vista Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Southwestern College Chula Vista Associate's degree — not published 15
Ventura Adult and Continuing Education Ventura Undergraduate certificate — not published —
Ventura College Ventura Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Ventura College Ventura Associate's degree — not published 0
West Valley College Saratoga Undergraduate certificate — not published 21
West Valley College Saratoga Associate's degree — not published 16
Yuba College Marysville Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Yuba College Marysville Associate's degree — not published 1

A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.

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The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Design and Applied Arts — nothing else, and nothing in between.

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Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.