
CCAD's reported four-year graduation rate is 48%, while its six-year rate is 56%. These measures follow a defined entering group of first-time, full-time students; they are not the graduation rates of every transfer, part-time, or graduate student.
The gap between the two rates shows that some students complete after four years. The reported first-year retention rate is 80%, meaning that roughly four in five students in the measured group returned the following year. These figures provide useful context, but they do not explain why any particular student leaves, changes pace, or graduates later.
For an applicant, the practical question is whether the course sequence and likely financing allow enough time to finish. A delayed final year can add living expenses as well as tuition, even when a student remains on track to earn a degree.
College Scorecard field-of-study figures offer a limited view of earnings about one year after completion for the measured graduates. In the reported data, the median is $27,261 for design and applied arts and $24,871 for fine and studio arts.
The corresponding figures are $19,608 for graphic communications and $19,466 for film, video, and photographic arts. These are field-level, early-career measures - not salary offers, forecasts for an individual, or a measure of everyone who studied a subject. They can reflect differences in who is included, where people work, whether they pursue further education, and how recently they entered the workforce.
Applicants weighing cost against potential income should consider several years of likely expenses and borrowing alongside these figures. A one-year earnings measure cannot capture later career progression, freelance work fully, or the nonfinancial reasons a student may choose a field.
Degrees
Design and Applied Arts
$27,261Film/Video and Photographic Arts
$19,466Fine and Studio Arts
$24,871Graphic Communications
$19,608BACHELOR’S Degree
Visual and Performing Arts
Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services
MASTER’S Degree
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Data last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.