Home › Sinclair Community College › Design and Applied Arts

Design and Applied Arts at Sinclair Community College

Dayton, OH · Public · Associate Degree

with a mid-sized student body of 12,585 in Dayton, OH.

Program Analysis

Sinclair Community College's Design and Applied Arts program produces graduates earning $24,490/yr — within striking distance of the $28,654 national average for this trade.

With a 55.6x return on tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.

Career paths for Design and Applied Arts carry above-average AI exposure (38% of tasks). The 36% scenario spread means the difference between optimistic and pessimistic outcomes is substantial.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $11,000 in median debt clears fast against $24,490 in annual earnings.

A #33 ranking among 92 Design and Applied Arts programs places Sinclair Community College in the middle-to-upper range. Solid, not exceptional.

A 49% earnings increase from $24,490 to $36,535 over five years is solid — not a moonshot, but evidence of normal career advancement.

The 9 apprenticeship pathways connected to Design and Applied Arts reflect strong industry infrastructure for this trade. Apprenticeships typically lead to journeyman-level wages.

48 /100
TradeSchoolOutlook Score
42
Low End
48
Score
51
High End
Earnings $24,490/yr (-15% vs median)
AI-Proof Moderate (62% shielded)
Job Market Very Large (101,000 openings/yr)

Earnings Overview

Projected 10-Year Earnings
$400K
10.5% annual growth
Earnings Multiple (In-State)
58.2x
10-year earnings ÷ tuition
Viable Career Paths
14 of 14
Occupations with strong AI resilience

Projected 10-Year Earnings

Based on actual graduate salary data and Bureau of Labor Statistics growth projections.

Program Tuition (In-State)
$6,870
Out-of-state: $16,632
Median Debt at Graduation
$11,000
5.4 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$36,535
49% growth from Year 1

Top Career Paths

Top career paths for Design and Applied Arts graduates by median salary.

Career Path Median Salary Growth AI-ProofAI
Art directors $111,040 +4.2% 50%
Architecture teachers, postsecondary $101,480 +2.0% 51%
Special effects artists and animators $99,800 +1.6% 48%
Art directors
$111,040
+4.2% growth 50% AI-proof
Architecture teachers, postsecondary
$101,480
+2.0% growth 51% AI-proof
Special effects artists and animators
$99,800
+1.6% growth 48% AI-proof

View all 14 career paths with full salary data →

Design and Applied Arts Career Guide

Design and Applied Arts opens doors to multiple career tracks. Our pillar guide covers every mapped occupation with salary data and AI resilience ratings.

Read the full Design and Applied Arts career guide →

Compare & Explore

Design and Applied Arts Overview

View all 92 schools offering Design and Applied Arts →

Design and Applied Arts at Other Schools

Gnomon ($80,221) Miami Ad School-Atlanta ($56,833) Miami Ad School ($56,833) Interior Designers Institute ($52,768) The New School ($44,640) Century College ($43,778) Austin Community College District ($40,289) Minneapolis Community and Technical College ($40,230)

Other Majors at Sinclair Community College

Nursing ($69,403) Computer Engineering Technology ($60,462) Allied Health Professions ($57,923) Dental Assisting ($53,091) Mechanical Engineering Technology ($48,312) Computer Networking ($45,772) Business Administration ($45,758) Clinical Laboratory Science ($45,022)

Trade Certificate vs. Bachelor's Degree

Compare Design and Applied Arts degree programs on DegreeOutlook →

Weigh shorter time-to-career against higher earning ceilings. The numbers tell the story.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TradeSchoolOutlook Score for Design and Applied Arts at Sinclair Community College?
This program scores 48/100 — on the lower end for Design and Applied Arts. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.
Should I worry about AI if I study Design and Applied Arts at Sinclair Community College?
AI exposure of 38% is a real factor. For Sinclair Community College specifically, the gap between optimistic ($400,119) and pessimistic ($256,219) decade earnings reflects that uncertainty.
Can I learn Design and Applied Arts through an apprenticeship instead of Sinclair Community College?
Yes — 9 registered apprenticeship programs are mapped to Design and Applied Arts career paths, including Bank-Note Designer. Apprenticeships offer paid on-the-job training as an alternative or complement to a program at Sinclair Community College.
Is there demand for Design and Applied Arts workers?
The career paths mapped to Design and Applied Arts have roughly 101,000 combined annual openings nationally, making this a very large job market. Demand is driven by consistent replacement demand and industry growth.
Data from College Scorecard, BLS, and AI resilience research. Methodology & sources →