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Engineering-Related Fields at Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree
48 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case)
48
Optimistic
48
Base Case
46
Pessimistic
Earnings $66,860/yr (-4% vs median)
AI Risk High (38% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (111,400 openings/yr)
ROI 3.1x earnings multiple
Ranked #30 of 31 Engineering-Related Fields programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Engineering-Related Fields graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $644K $634K $578K
Earnings Multiple 3.1x 3.1x 2.8x
Probability of Field Employment 55% 52% 41%
DegreeOutlook Score 48 48 46

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition (Sticker)
$206,560
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$200,836
3% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$35,636
6.4 months of Year 1 earnings

Program Analysis

Graduates earn $66,860/yr, roughly in line with the $69,301 national median for Engineering-Related Fields. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

An earnings multiple of 3.1x means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition, but not by a dramatic margin. Returns are positive but modest.

Some AI exposure exists in Engineering-Related Fields's typical career paths, with 38% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 10% gap from the optimistic case.

Median debt of $35,636 represents roughly 6 months of the $66,860 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.

Ranked #30 of 31 Engineering-Related Fields programs, Art Center College of Design falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

About Art Center College of Design

Art Center College of Design accepts 75% of applicants — an open-access institution by design, with a smaller student body of 2,054 in Pasadena, CA.

See all programs and financial aid at Art Center College of Design →

Top Career Paths

Architectural and engineering managers $167,740/yr
Industrial production managers $121,440/yr
Engineers, all other $117,750/yr
View all 10 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 31 schools offering Engineering-Related Fields →

Engineering-Related Fields at Other Schools

Stanford University ($100,788) Stevens Institute of Technology ($79,755) Michigan State University ($76,563) Arizona State University Campus Immersion ($76,149) Arizona State University Digital Immersion ($76,149) University of Arizona ($75,109) Rochester Institute of Technology ($74,923) Miami University-Oxford ($74,624)

Other Majors at Art Center College of Design

Graphic Communications ($67,010) Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians ($59,384) Design and Applied Arts ($47,053) Film/Video and Photographic Arts ($22,988)

Consider the Trade Route?

Compare Engineering-Related Fields trade programs on TradeSchoolWorth →

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Engineering-Related Fields at Art Center College of Design?
A score of 48/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Engineering-Related Fields. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Will AI replace Engineering-Related Fields careers?
With 38% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $578,050 in decade earnings vs $644,360 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →