{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"EducationalOccupationalProgram","data_version":"1.0","generated_from":"2026-10-12","license":"Free to reuse with attribution: cite \"EducationGuide.com\" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/kansas-city-art-institute/majors/graphic-communications","ids":{"ipeds_unitid":177746,"cip4":"10.03","school_slug":"kansas-city-art-institute","major_slug":"graphic-communications"},"school":{"name":"Kansas City Art Institute","city":"Kansas City","state":"MO","control":"Private nonprofit","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/kansas-city-art-institute","data":"https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/kansas-city-art-institute.json"},"major":{"name":"Graphic Communications","area":"Communications & Media","credential":"Bachelor's degree"},"outcomes":{"median_earnings_1yr":17852,"median_earnings_4yr":30798,"median_debt":27000,"debt_to_earnings_4yr":0.877,"year":{"earnings_1yr":"Treasury AY2018-19, AY2019-20 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars","earnings_4yr":"Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars","debt":"NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort"},"source":"College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)"},"national":{"colleges_reporting":51,"median_earnings_4yr":43745,"median_debt":26958},"compared_with_same_major":{"calculated_by":"EducationGuide","state":{"geography":"MO","colleges_reporting":3,"median_earnings_4yr":40168,"difference":-9370},"us":{"colleges_reporting":51,"median_earnings_4yr":43745,"difference":-12947},"note":"State and U.S. medians are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major (4 years after graduating); a state median is published when at least 3 colleges in the state report earnings."},"value":{"calculated_by":"EducationGuide","time_to_finish":{"average_years_among_graduates":4.22,"finished_in_4_years":0.5263,"finished_within_6_years":0.6491,"cohort":171,"entering_class":"Fall 2017","source":"IPEDS Graduation Rates (bachelor's-seeking cohort)"},"baseline":{"median_earnings_high_school_graduates":35438,"geography":"MO","ages":"25-34","years":"2020-2024","respondents":7277,"description":"high school graduates ages 25-34 in MO (Census ACS 2020-2024)","source":"U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year PUMS (microdata): ages 25-34, high school diploma or GED as highest level, not enrolled, earnings > 0; EducationGuide calculation"},"earnings_used":30798,"earnings_basis":"median earnings of this major's graduates 4 years after graduating (College Scorecard field of study); school-wide net price","by_family_income":{"0-30k":{"net_price_per_year":26293,"cost_to_finish":110956,"payback_years":null,"payback_status":"no_premium","payback_text":"no earnings gain"},"30-48k":{"net_price_per_year":25105,"cost_to_finish":105943,"payback_years":null,"payback_status":"no_premium","payback_text":"no earnings gain"},"48-75k":{"net_price_per_year":27663,"cost_to_finish":116738,"payback_years":null,"payback_status":"no_premium","payback_text":"no earnings gain"},"75-110k":{"net_price_per_year":29943,"cost_to_finish":126359,"payback_years":null,"payback_status":"no_premium","payback_text":"no earnings gain"},"110k+":{"net_price_per_year":30840,"cost_to_finish":130145,"payback_years":null,"payback_status":"no_premium","payback_text":"no earnings gain"}},"method":"cost_to_finish = max(0, net price per year) x average years graduates took; payback_years = cost_to_finish / (earnings_used - baseline), one decimal; status over_cap above 20 years, no_premium when earnings do not exceed the baseline. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. In-state net price for public colleges.","method_url":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value"},"state_rank":{"rank":3,"of":3,"by":"median earnings 4 years after graduating"},"state_comparison":[{"ipeds_unitid":176965,"name":"University of Central Missouri","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":41870,"median_debt":null,"net_price_average":14462,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.541,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-central-missouri"},{"ipeds_unitid":179894,"name":"Webster University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":40168,"median_debt":null,"net_price_average":27047,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.644,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/webster-university"},{"ipeds_unitid":177746,"name":"Kansas City Art Institute","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":30798,"median_debt":27000,"net_price_average":27650,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.58,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/kansas-city-art-institute/majors/graphic-communications"}],"careers":[{"soc":"27-1014","title":"Special Effects Artists and Animators","median_wage_metro":69820,"metro":"Kansas City, MO-KS","median_wage_state":65470,"median_wage_us":102030,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":-0.3,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"}],"school_context":{"net_price_average":27650,"net_price_by_family_income":{"0-30k":26293,"30-48k":25105,"48-75k":27663,"75-110k":29943,"110k+":30840},"acceptance_rate":0.548,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.58,"year":{"net_price":"AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25"}},"methodology":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score"}