Design and Applied Arts at Liberty University
VA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 50.04
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Design and Applied Arts degree from Liberty University earn a median salary of $47,828 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $46,661. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.6 years.
Quick Insights
How this degree looks at a glance
A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.
Salary Ranges
Starting Range
$36,486
Typical Career
$47,828
Top Performers
$63,082
Estimated break-even: 12.6 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$319
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,986. Most students can comfortably afford about a $319 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Virginia buys what costs $1.03 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.
Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work
Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.
5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent
$46,661
Nominal: $47,828 in Virginia (COL 102.5% of national avg) · 2.4% lower 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 | $24,709 | $33,718 | $45,586 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $36,486 | $47,828 | $63,082 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $42,691 | $61,580 | $83,368 |
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 $47,828 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in VA, which has a cost-of-living index of 102.5% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $47,828 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250)
= $46,661 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (23.1%), Educational Services (16.7%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.0%). This diverse range of sectors suggests that graduates have various career opportunities available to them. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 12.6 years, indicating a reasonable return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, while the initial earnings may not be high, the long-term financial benefits and industry diversity present a compelling case for the value of a degree in Design and Applied Arts.
AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.
Compare with Another School
See how the Design and Applied Arts degree at Liberty University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
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.
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