Design and Applied Arts at Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana
IN · Associate's Degree · CIP 50.04
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Design and Applied Arts degree from Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana earn a median salary of $40,906 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $45,250. The degree typically pays for itself in 16.9 years.
Quick Insights
How this degree looks at a glance
A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.
Salary Ranges
Starting Range
$31,694
Typical Career
$40,906
Top Performers
$52,401
Estimated break-even: 16.9 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$273
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,409. Most students can comfortably afford about a $273 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Indiana buys what costs $0.90 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Construction, Manufacturing.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.
5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent
$45,250
Nominal: $40,906 in Indiana (COL 90.4% of national avg) · 10.6% higher purchasing power
10-Year Earnings Curve
Break-Even Timeline
How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).
Total Investment
$155,168
4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost
HS Graduate Baseline
$38,792/yr
BLS 2023 median, HS diploma
View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
| Timeframe | 25th Pct. | Median (50th) | 75th Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Year After Graduation | $23,838 | $31,447 | $39,938 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $31,694 | $40,906 | $52,401 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $43,197 | $55,307 | $69,498 |
Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).
How We Calculate Purchasing Power
The median salary of $40,906 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IN, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.4% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $40,906 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9040)
= $45,250 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The majority of graduates find employment in the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 45.5% entering this field immediately after graduation. This trend continues with 34.1% and 24.9% of graduates remaining in the same industry five and ten years later, respectively. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 16.9 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Design and Applied Arts at Ivy Tech appears favorable, particularly for those committed to a career in health-related design fields.
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Other Degrees at Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana
Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.