Design and Applied Arts programs in Virginia
15 schools in Virginia teach this, at certificate or associate level. 2 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $25,194 at Virginia Western Community College.
What this work pays in Virginia
Graphic Designers in Virginia earn a median of $72,310 a year across 4,740 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 Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | $74,870 | 2,840 |
| Web and Digital Interface Designers | $77,140 | 1,990 |
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | $84,060 | 1,580 |
| Photographers | $46,550 | 1,580 |
| Interior Designers | $62,560 | 1,550 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Western Community College Roanoke | Associate's degree | — | $25,194 (17 grads) | 15 |
| Tidewater Community College Norfolk | Associate's degree | $11,348 | $18,315 (32 grads) | 34 |
| Blue Ridge Community College Weyers Cave | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 5 |
| Central Virginia Community College Lynchburg | Associate's degree | — | not published | 2 |
| Danville Community College Danville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 23 |
| Germanna Community College Locust Grove | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 13 |
| J Sargeant Reynolds Community College Richmond | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| New River Community College Dublin | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Northern Virginia Community College Annandale | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Northern Virginia Community College Annandale | Associate's degree | — | not published | 73 |
| Patrick & Henry Community College Martinsville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Piedmont Virginia Community College Charlottesville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 6 |
| Rappahannock Community College Glenns | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Tidewater Community College Norfolk | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 26 |
| Virginia Peninsula Community College Hampton | Associate's degree | — | not published | 15 |
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.