Design and Applied Arts: Bellevue College vs The University of Texas at Austin

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
Bellevue College
Bellevue, WA
In-State
29.7x
$17,220 tuition
17.7x
$46,712 tuition
Out-of-State
12.6x
$40,732 tuition
4.8x
$171,112 tuition
$512,259 10-yr earnings · Public
$828,914 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

Bellevue College The University of Texas at Austin
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 29.7x 17.7x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 12.6x 4.8x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $17,220 $46,712
Year 1 Earnings $45,947 $44,506
10-Year Earnings $512K $829K
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 63/100 58/100

Both programs have high AI automation risk (38% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Design and Applied Arts graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Design and Applied Arts graduates.

Bellevue College The University of Texas at Austin
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $17,220 $46,712
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $40,732 $171,112
10-Year Projected Earnings $512K $829K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 29.7x 17.7x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 12.6x 4.8x

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Design and Applied Arts (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

Bellevue College The University of Texas at Austin
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $514K $512K $484K $860K $829K $740K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 29.9x 29.7x 28.1x 18.4x 17.7x 15.8x
DegreeWorth Score 64 63 62 60 58 58

For the full AI analysis of Design and Applied Arts career paths, see the Bellevue College or The University of Texas at Austin program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Design and Applied Arts graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$29,492
Bellevue College saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$1,441/yr
Bellevue College grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
29.7x / 17.7x
Out-of-state: 12.6x / 4.8x

Career Paths

Design and Applied Arts graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Art directors $111,040 12,300 +4.2% 50%
Architecture teachers, postsecondary $101,480 900 +2.0% 49%
Special effects artists and animators $99,800 5,000 +1.6% 52%
Web and digital interface designers $98,090 9,100 +7.0% 67%
Fashion designers $80,690 2,300 +2.0% 39%
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary $80,190 9,000 +1.7% 44%
Commercial and industrial designers $79,450 2,500 +3.2% 47%
Postsecondary teachers, all other $78,490 13,500 +1.8% 0%
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Design and Applied Arts: Bellevue College or The University of Texas at Austin?
Bellevue College scores 63/100 while The University of Texas at Austin scores 58/100. Bellevue College has significantly lower tuition, which drives its higher ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Design and Applied Arts?
Bellevue College has an in-state earnings multiple of 29.7x vs The University of Texas at Austin's 17.7x. That means Bellevue College grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition. The $29,492 tuition gap is the biggest driver of this difference.
How do Bellevue College and The University of Texas at Austin compare on Design and Applied Arts earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $45,947 at Bellevue College vs $44,506 at The University of Texas at Austin. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $512,259 vs $828,914 — a difference of $316,655.
How much does Design and Applied Arts cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $17,220 at Bellevue College and $46,712 at The University of Texas at Austin. Both programs lead to the same Design and Applied Arts career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.