Design and Applied Arts at Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, CO · Public · Bachelor's Degree
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
64
Optimistic
60
Base Case
55
Pessimistic
Earnings
$39,450/yr (17% vs median)
AI Risk
High (38% exposed)
Job Market
Very Large (101,000 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Design and Applied Arts graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $729K | $475K | $318K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 16.9x | 11.0x | 7.4x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 6.2x | 4.0x | 2.7x |
| Viable Career Paths | 14 of 14 | 14 of 14 | 14 of 14 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 64 | 60 | 55 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$43,120
Out-of-state: $118,012
Median Debt at Graduation
$28,500
8.7 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$64,448
63% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Design and Applied Arts graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 101,000 combined openings per year.
| 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% |
Compare & Explore
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Design and Applied Arts at Metropolitan State University of Denver?
This program scores 60/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 64 (optimistic) to 55 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Design and Applied Arts career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Design and Applied Arts graduates retain 14 of 14 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $317,871 (pessimistic) to $728,609 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Design and Applied Arts graduates?
The career paths mapped to Design and Applied Arts have roughly 101,000 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a very large job market.
Is Design and Applied Arts at Metropolitan State University of Denver worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 11.0x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 7.4x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
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.