Design and Applied Arts at Terra State Community College
OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 50.04
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Design and Applied Arts degree from Terra State Community College earn a median salary of $38,509 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $42,740. The degree typically pays for itself in over 10 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
$30,143
Typical Career
$38,509
Top Performers
$44,398
Break-even is not clear from the available earnings data.
Debt-to-Income Check
$257
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,209. Most students can comfortably afford about a $257 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Manufacturing, Health Care & Social Assistance, Retail Trade.
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
$42,740
Nominal: $38,509 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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 | $23,771 | $35,626 | $45,751 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $30,143 | $38,509 | $44,398 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $28,474 | $36,412 | $48,487 |
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 $38,509 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $38,509 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010)
= $42,740 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
Graduates primarily enter the manufacturing sector, with 38.8% of them working in this industry, followed by 29.9% and 26.4% in related manufacturing roles. This concentration suggests a strong alignment between the program's training and the job market's demands. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path exceeds ten years, indicating that the return on investment may be delayed. Prospective students should weigh these factors carefully when considering their career trajectory in design and applied arts.
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Other Degrees at Terra State Community College
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.