Top Ranked Programs
Minneapolis College of Art and Design concentrates its program portfolio in visual and performing arts — a signature that reflects its identity as a specialized design and arts institution. Design and Applied Arts is the largest program with 54 graduates, followed by Graphic Communications with 27 graduates and Fine and Studio Arts with 21 graduates. Across 0 ranked programs serving roughly 113 students annually, several deliver strong four-year earnings outcomes aligned with creative and design-sector labor markets. The earnings pattern reflects the institution's positioning within creative industries. Graphic Communications leads with median earnings of $43,745 four years after enrollment across 27 graduates, while Design and Applied Arts graduates earn $39,467 and Fine and Studio Arts graduates earn $32,667. These figures represent outcomes for students who entered creative fields — sectors where early-career earnings often reflect entry-level positions in design studios, creative agencies, media production, and freelance work before mid-career advancement. Arts represents 72% of the institution's degree output, with Business comprising 3%. This concentration in arts-focused disciplines shapes both the earnings profile and the career trajectories of graduates, who typically enter high-mobility creative and design sectors where earnings growth depends on portfolio development, client acquisition, and industry reputation. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how creative-field employment aligns with national labor-market trends and wage growth in design and media sectors.