Design and Applied Arts at Onondaga Community College

Graduates of the Design and Applied Arts program at Onondaga Community College can expect a progressive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $27,800, which increases to $36,903 after five years and further rises to $48,066 by the ten-year mark. However, when considering the cost of living in New York, where the cost-of-living index is 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0, the purchasing-power-adjusted salary after five years is approximately $27,956.82, indicating that while earnings grow, the purchasing power may be impacted by higher living costs.

The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 28.9% of placements, followed by Public Administration at 21.5%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 27.6 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this degree may be considered moderate. Students should weigh the potential for long-term earnings growth against the time required to recoup educational costs, particularly in a state with a higher cost of living.