Design and Applied Arts programs in Iowa
12 schools in Iowa teach this, at certificate or associate level. 4 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $35,060 at Des Moines Area Community College.
What this work pays in Iowa
Graphic Designers in Iowa earn a median of $50,310 a year across 2,100 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.
| Also leads to | Median | Jobs in Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | $71,680 | 1,480 |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | $77,740 | 910 |
| Web and Digital Interface Designers | $69,060 | 670 |
| Interior Designers | $58,040 | 510 |
| Commercial and Industrial Designers | $70,420 | 440 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny | Associate's degree | $13,000 | $35,060 (17 grads) | 44 |
| Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids | Associate's degree | $10,168 | $34,704 (14 grads) | 19 |
| Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny | Undergraduate certificate | — | $24,730 (12 grads) | 29 |
| Hawkeye Community College Waterloo | Associate's degree | — | $21,964 (37 grads) | 5 |
| Ellsworth Community College Iowa Falls | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge | Associate's degree | — | not published | 7 |
| Iowa Lakes Community College Estherville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Iowa Lakes Community College Estherville | Associate's degree | — | not published | 5 |
| Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 7 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City | 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.
Email me when these figures change
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.
Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.