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Design and Applied Arts at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Pomona, CA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
40 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
41
Optimistic
40
Base Case
50
Pessimistic
Earnings $30,065/yr (-11% vs median)
AI Risk High (38% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (101,000 openings/yr)
ROI 18.7x earnings multiple (7.2x out-of-state)
Ranked #95 of 290 Design and Applied Arts programs Top 50%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Design and Applied Arts graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $561K $555K $519K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 18.9x 18.7x 17.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 7.3x 7.2x 6.7x
Probability of Field Employment 63% 57% 46%
DegreeOutlook Score 41 40 50

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$29,756
Out-of-state: $77,276 (7.2x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$46,320
-56% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$20,825
8.3 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$52,064
73% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

Graduates earn $30,065/yr, roughly in line with the $33,862 national median for Design and Applied Arts. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

The 18.7x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 38% task exposure — and the 7% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The $20,825 debt-to-$30,065 income ratio translates to about 8 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.

Ranked #95 out of 290 programs, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona's Design and Applied Arts offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

Earnings growth from $30,065 to $52,064 over five years (73% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.

About California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona accepts 74% of applicants — an open-access institution by design, one of the larger campuses at 24,271 students in Pomona, CA. Pell Grant recipients make up 46% of the student body — a marker of economic diversity.

See all programs and financial aid at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona →

Top Career Paths

Art directors $111,040/yr
Architecture teachers, postsecondary $101,480/yr
Special effects artists and animators $99,800/yr
View all 14 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 290 schools offering Design and Applied Arts →

Design and Applied Arts at Other Schools

Carnegie Mellon University ($66,274) University of Southern California ($64,846) University of Washington-Seattle Campus ($63,449) University of California-Los Angeles ($57,615) Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus ($52,694) University of Cincinnati-Main Campus ($52,526) Utah State University ($52,431) Interior Designers Institute ($51,188)

Other Majors at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Construction Engineering Technologies ($87,960) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($80,827) Manufacturing Engineering ($79,549) Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering ($78,320) Civil Engineering ($75,758) Industrial Engineering ($75,110) Mechanical Engineering ($75,040) Computer Engineering ($70,768)

Consider the Trade Route?

Compare Design and Applied Arts 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

How does California State Polytechnic University-Pomona's Design and Applied Arts program score?
This program scores 40/100 — on the lower end for Design and Applied Arts. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.
How vulnerable is Design and Applied Arts to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Design and Applied Arts careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 38% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →