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Design and Applied Arts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree
30 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case)
31
Optimistic
30
Base Case
36
Pessimistic
Earnings $36,191/yr (7% vs median)
AI Risk High (38% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (101,000 openings/yr)
ROI 1.8x earnings multiple
Ranked #179 of 290 Design and Applied Arts programs

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 $444K $448K $433K
Earnings Multiple 1.8x 1.8x 1.7x
Probability of Field Employment 63% 57% 46%
DegreeOutlook Score 31 30 36

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition (Sticker)
$247,536
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$132,556
46% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$25,000
8.3 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (4 Year)
$71,567
98% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Design and Applied Arts graduates start at $36,191/yr — above the $33,862 national average, though not by a wide margin.

An earnings multiple of 1.8x means the program roughly breaks even in financial terms over ten years. Non-financial factors need to justify the investment.

AI risk is moderate — 38% task exposure — and the 3% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The $25,000 debt-to-$36,191 income ratio translates to about 8 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.

At #179 out of 290 programs, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's financial outcomes for Design and Applied Arts trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's 58% acceptance rate reflects moderate selectivity, enrolling 5,909 students in Troy, NY. After financial aid, the average student pays $132,556 over four years — 46% below sticker price.

See all programs and financial aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute →

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 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Computer Science ($104,943) Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians ($94,722) Computer and Information Sciences, General ($85,172) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($83,412) Mathematics ($80,196) Chemical Engineering ($78,263) Nuclear Engineering ($77,014) Industrial Engineering ($74,787)

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 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Design and Applied Arts program score?
This program scores 30/100 — 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 →