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Design at Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree · Design and Applied Arts
28 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case)
29
Optimistic
28
Base Case
37
Pessimistic
Earnings $31,122/yr (-8% vs median)
AI Risk High (38% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (101,000 openings/yr)
ROI 5.5x earnings multiple
Ranked #189 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 graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $408K $415K $406K
Earnings Multiple 5.4x 5.5x 5.3x
Probability of Field Employment 63% 57% 46%
DegreeOutlook Score 29 28 37

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition (Sticker)
$76,000
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$92,688
-22% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$20,500
7.9 months of Year 1 earnings

About Upper Iowa University

Upper Iowa University accepts 93% of applicants — an open-access institution by design, a smaller institution with 2,021 students in Fayette, IA.

See all programs and financial aid at Upper Iowa University →

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 →

Design 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 Upper Iowa University

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($70,224) Public Administration ($61,104) Social Sciences, General ($56,221) Business Administration, Management and Operations ($55,854) Accounting and Related Services ($54,152) Marketing ($52,313) Health and Medical Administrative Services ($49,916) Human Resources Management and Services ($49,106)

Is a Trade Program a Better Fit?

Compare Design trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →

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 at Upper Iowa University?
A score of 28/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Design. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Will AI replace Design careers?
With 38% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $405,543 in decade earnings vs $407,540 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →