Program Analysis
First-year earnings of $32,482 track close to the $33,862 national median for Design and Applied Arts programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
The earnings-to-cost ratio of 7.8x signals a solid financial return — projected decade earnings comfortably exceed the tuition investment.
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 1% gap from the optimistic case.
Median debt of $29,332 represents roughly 11 months of the $32,482 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.
Ranked #167 of 290 Design and Applied Arts programs, Rasmussen University-Illinois falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.