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Design and Applied Arts at California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
55 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
56
Optimistic
55
Base Case
61
Pessimistic
Earnings $37,395/yr (10% vs median)
AI Risk High (38% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (101,000 openings/yr)
ROI 23.9x earnings multiple (8.9x out-of-state)
Ranked #15 of 290 Design and Applied Arts programs Top 5%

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 $685K $669K $611K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 24.4x 23.9x 21.8x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 9.1x 8.9x 8.1x
Probability of Field Employment 63% 57% 46%
DegreeOutlook Score 56 55 61

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$28,032
Out-of-state: $75,552 (8.9x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$35,724
-27% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$16,500
5.3 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$67,824
81% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

Graduates earn $37,395/yr, edging above the $33,862 national average for Design and Applied Arts — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.

Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 23.9x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Design and Applied Arts programs nationally.

Some AI exposure exists in Design and Applied Arts's typical career paths, with 38% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 11% gap from the optimistic case.

At $16,500 in median debt against $37,395 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

At #15 of 290 nationally, this is a top-5% Design and Applied Arts program. Financial outcomes consistently outperform the vast majority of peers.

Five-year earnings of $67,824 show a 81% jump from the $37,395 starting point — strong upward trajectory suggesting real career acceleration.

About California State University-Long Beach

With a 47% acceptance rate, California State University-Long Beach is moderately selective, one of the larger campuses at 34,131 students in Long Beach, CA. With 49% of students on Pell Grants, the campus draws from a broad economic spectrum.

See all programs and financial aid at California State University-Long Beach →

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)

Compare Design and Applied Arts

California State University-Long Beach vs University of Washington-Seattle Campus → California State University-Long Beach vs University of California-Los Angeles → California State University-Long Beach vs Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus → California State University-Long Beach vs University of Cincinnati-Main Campus →

Other Majors at California State University-Long Beach

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($100,178) Construction Engineering Technologies ($89,003) Computer Engineering ($79,809) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($77,278) Civil Engineering ($73,342) Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering ($66,477) Biomedical/Medical Engineering ($66,090) Mechanical Engineering ($60,996)

Is a Trade Program a Better Fit?

Compare Design and Applied Arts trade programs on TradeSchoolWorth →

For students who prefer applied learning, trade programs can deliver strong earnings with significantly less debt and shorter time to employment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Design and Applied Arts at California State University-Long Beach?
A score of 55/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Design and Applied Arts field.
Will AI replace Design and Applied Arts careers?
With 38% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $610,798 in decade earnings vs $684,805 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
What makes California State University-Long Beach's Design and Applied Arts program stand out?
Ranked #15 of 290 programs nationally, California State University-Long Beach lands in the top 5%. The ranking reflects a combination of graduate earnings, return on investment, and job market alignment.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →