General Design & Visual Communications

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    Total Degrees​
    Awarded in 2024
    6,186
    growing 10.3%
    Median In-State​
    Public Tuition
    $7,896
    growing 2.33%
    Median Out-of-State​
    Private Tuition
    $38,400
    growing 2.15%
    Average Wage
    $76,381
    growing 3.24%
    People in Workforce
    2.44M
    growing 3.34%
    Average Employee Age
    41.4
    growing 0.186%

    About

    In 2024, the locations with the highest concentration of General Design & Visual Communications degree recipients are Orem, UT, University of California-Davis, CA, and Indianapolis city (balance), IN. In 2024, the locations with a relatively high number of General Design & Visual Communications degree recipients are Choctaw, OK, Buena Vista, VA, and Montpelier, VT. The most common degree awarded to students studying General Design & Visual Communications is a bachelors degree.

    Visual & Performing ArtsDesign & Applied Arts

    Institutions

    Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in General Design & Visual Communications and the types of students that study this field. Utah Valley University awards the most degrees in General Design & Visual Communications in the US, but Northwest College of Art & Design and Miami Ad School-Atlanta have the highest percentage of degrees awarded in General Design & Visual Communications.

    Tuition costs for General Design & Visual Communications majors are, on average, $7,896 for in-state public colleges, and $38,400 for out of state private colleges.

    The most common sector, by number of institutions, that offers General Design & Visual Communications programs are Public, 4-year or above institutions (112 total). The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded, is Public, 4-year or above (3,146 completions).

    Institutions

    Institution with the Most Degrees Awarded in General Design & Visual Communications (2024)
    1. Utah Valley University
      439 degrees awarded
    2. University of California-Davis
      291 degrees awarded
    3. Ivy Tech Community College
      212 degrees awarded

    The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded in General Design & Visual Communications, is Public, 4-year or above (3,146 completions in 2024).

    The following chart shows the share of universities that offer General Design & Visual Communications programs, by the total number of completions, colored and grouped by their sector.

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    Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

    $7,896
    Median In-State Public
    $38,400
    Median Out of State Private

    Utah Valley University has the most General Design & Visual Communications degree recipients, with 439 degrees awarded in 2024.

    The following bar chart shows the state tuition for the top 5 institutions with the most degrees awarded in General Design & Visual Communications.

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    Specialized Colleges

    Highest Concentration Institution
    1. Northwest College of Art & Design
      100%
    2. Miami Ad School-Atlanta
      54.2%
    3. Miami Ad School-New York
      43.8%

    Out of all institutions that offer General Design & Visual Communications programs and have at least 5 graduates in those programs, Northwest College of Art & Design has the highest percentage of degrees awarded in General Design & Visual Communications, with 100%.

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    Degrees Awarded by County

    Counties with the Most Degrees Awarded in General Design & Visual Communications
    1. Utah County, UT
      451 degrees awarded
    2. Yolo County, CA
      291 degrees awarded
    3. Marion County, IN
      212 degrees awarded

    This map shows the counties in the United States colored by the highest number of degrees awarded in General Design & Visual Communications by year.

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    Employment

    Information on the businesses and industries that employ Visual & Performing Arts graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.

    The average salary for Visual & Performing Arts majors is $76,381 and the most common occupations are Graphic designers, Elementary & middle school teachers, and Other managers.

    The industry that employs the most Visual & Performing Arts majors is Elementary & secondary schools, though the highest paying industry, by average wage, is Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals.

    Yearly Income for Common Jobs

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course General Design & Visual Communications is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.
    $76,381
    Average Wage in Workforce
    ± $1,278
    3.24%
    1 Year Growth
    ± 2.32%

    The average salary for Visual & Performing Arts majors is $76,381 and the most common occupations are Graphic designers, Elementary & middle school teachers, and Other managers.

    This chart shows the average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Visual & Performing Arts majors.

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    Highest Paying Locations

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course General Design & Visual Communications is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.
    Highest Paying Pumas
    1. North Delta Region PUMA, MS
      $252,546
    2. Alameda County (South)--Newark, Union City (West) & Fremont (West) Cities PUMA, CA
      $196,595
    3. Houston-Galveston Area Council--Brazoria County (Southwest), Lake Jackson City PUMA, TX
      $190,794

    This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States colored by the average salary of Visual & Performing Arts majors.

    Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Visual & Performing Arts majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

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    Most Common

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course General Design & Visual Communications is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.

    The most common occupations for Visual & Performing Arts majors, by number of employees, are Graphic designers, Elementary & middle school teachers, and Other managers.

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    Most Specialized

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course General Design & Visual Communications is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.

    Compared to other majors, there are an unusually high number of Visual & Performing Arts majors working as Artists & related workers, Designers, and Musicians, singers, & related workers.

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    Highest Paid

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course General Design & Visual Communications is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.

    The highest paid occupations by median income for Visual & Performing Arts majors are Pumping station operators, Surgeons, and Physicians.

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    Occupations by Share

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course General Design & Visual Communications is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.
    2.44M
    2024 Workforce
    ± 38,050
    3.34%
    1 Year Growth
    ± 2.15%

    The number of Visual & Performing Arts graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 3.34%, from 2.36M in 2023 to 2.44M in 2024.

    The largest single share of Visual & Performing Arts graduates go on to work as Graphic designers (4.42%). This chart shows the various jobs filled by those with a major in Visual & Performing Arts by share of the total number of graduates.

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    Most Common

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course General Design & Visual Communications is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.

    The most common industries that employ Visual & Performing Arts majors, by number of employees, are Elementary & secondary schools, Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges, and Computer Systems Design.

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    Highest Paid

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course General Design & Visual Communications is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.

    The highest paying industries of Visual & Performing Arts majors, by average wage, are Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals, Petroleum refining, and Software publishers.

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    Industries by Share

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course General Design & Visual Communications is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.
    2.44M
    2024 Workforce
    ± 38,050
    3.34%
    1 Year Growth
    ± 2.15%

    The number of Visual & Performing Arts graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 3.34%, from 2.36M in 2023 to 2.44M in 2024.

    The industry which employs the most Visual & Performing Arts graduates by share is Elementary & secondary schools, followed by Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges. This visualization shows the industries that hire those who major in Visual & Performing Arts.

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    Specialty Locations

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course General Design & Visual Communications is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.
    PUMAS with a relatively high number of Visual & Performing Arts majors
    1. Los Angeles County (Central)--LA City (Central) PUMA, CA
      7.47
    2. NYC-Brooklyn Community District 4--Bushwick PUMA, NY
      6.73
    3. Los Angeles County (Central)--West Hollywood & Beverly Hills Cities PUMA, CA
      6.68

    This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States where there are a relatively high population of Visual & Performing Arts majors.

    Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Visual & Performing Arts majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

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    Diversity

    Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Visual & Performing Arts in the United States.

    The average age of a person in the workforce with a degree in Visual & Performing Arts is 41.4.

    The most common degree type these workers hold is a Bachelors Degree. Female employees are more likely to hold Visual & Performing Arts degrees, and White students are the most common race/ethnicty group awarded degrees in Visual & Performing Arts (3,217 students).

    Workforce Age

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course General Design & Visual Communications is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.
    41.4
    Average Age in 2024
    ± 0.203 Years
    0.186%
    1 Year Change
    ± 0.699%

    This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Visual & Performing Arts. The most common ages of employees with this major are 32 and 33 years old, which represent 3.33% and 3.22% of the population, respectively.

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    Degrees Awarded

    The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in General Design & Visual Communications are Bachelors Degree, Associates Degree, and Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years.

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    Workforce Degrees

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course General Design & Visual Communications is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.

    The most common degree types held by the working population in Visual & Performing Arts are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Professional degree.

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    Sex Imbalance for Common Institutions

    Female (67.4%)
    Most Common Sex with a Degree in this Field

    This chart shows the granted degrees by sex at the 5 institutions that graduate the most students in General Design & Visual Communications.

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    Race & Ethnicity by Degrees Awarded

    Degrees
    Most Common Race or Ethnicity
    1. White
      3,217 degrees awarded in 2024
    2. Hispanic or Latino
      980 degrees awarded in 2024
    3. Black or African American
      606 degrees awarded in 2024

    This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in General Design & Visual Communications for each race & ethnicity.

    In 2024, White students earned the largest share of the degrees with this major.

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    Race & Ethnicity by Sex

    Degrees
    Most Common Race/Ethnicity and Sex Combination
    1. White Female
      1,172 degrees awarded
    2. White Male
      412 degrees awarded
    3. Asian Female
      331 degrees awarded

    This chart illustrates the differences by sex for each race & ethnicity of Bachelors Degree recipients in General Design & Visual Communications.

    White Female students, who earn most of the degrees in this field, are the most common combination of race/ethnicity and sex.

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    Global Diversity

    The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course General Design & Visual Communications is from the 2 Digit Course Visual & Performing Arts.
    Most Common Countries of Origin
    1. Korea
      28,018 degree recipients
    2. Mexico
      22,116 degree recipients
    3. China
      19,777 degree recipients
    High Relative Number of Students
    1. Korea
      4.47 times more than expected
    2. New Zealand
      3.74 times more than expected
    3. Iceland
      3.57 times more than expected

    There are a relatively high number of people that were born in Korea that hold Visual & Performing Arts degrees (4.47 times more than expected), and the most common country of origin by total numbers for non-US students earning a degree in this field is Korea (28,018 degree recipients).

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    Skills

    Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the General Design & Visual Communications field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. General Design & Visual Communications majors need many skills, but most especially Speaking. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that General Design & Visual Communications majors need more than the average amount of Technology Design, Operations Analysis, and Programming.

    These two visualizations, one a radial chart and one a bar chart, show the same information, a rating of how necessary the following skills are for General Design & Visual Communications majors. Toggle between "value" and "RCA" to see the absolute rating of that skill (value) and the revealed comparative advantage (RCA), or how much greater or lesser that skill's rating is than the average. The longer the bar or the closer the line comes to the circumference of the circle, the more important that skill is. The importance of Technology Design is very distinctive for majors, but the Speaking, Critical Thinking, and Active Listening are the three most important skills for people in the field.

    Radar Distribution

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    Bar Chart

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