College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Plains States Region

36 Colleges in the Plains States Region
2,451 Design Degrees Awarded
$31,725 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #36 in popularity, design & applied arts is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 36 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,451 degrees in design & applied arts during the 2021-2022 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School

Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Plains States Region Your choice of design & applied arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Design & Applied Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Design & Applied Arts Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Design
Bachelor's Degrees in Design
Master's Degrees in Design
Doctor's Degrees in Design

The design school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Plains States Region. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Design & Applied Arts in the Plains States Region

The schools below may not offer all types of design degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in Design

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
74 Design Degrees Awarded
$41,577 Median Starting Salary

Washington University in St Louis is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in design & applied arts. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were approximately 74 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts major at Washington University in St Louis earn $9,852 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Washington University in St Louis

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
247 Design Degrees Awarded
$37,065 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts has to look into Iowa State University. Iowa State is a very large public university located in the city of Ames. A Best Colleges rank of #75 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.

There were about 247 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Iowa State University receive an earnings boost of about $5,340 above the typical earnings of design & applied arts majors.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Iowa State University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
141 Design Degrees Awarded
7.8% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts has to take a look at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were about 141 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities make $8,882 more than the standard design grad.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 Design Degrees Awarded
13.3% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts needs to take a look at University of Kansas. Located in the small city of Lawrence, KU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were about 83 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the design program earn an average of $32,536 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Kansas

5
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In IA

Drake is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Des Moines. A Best Colleges rank of #224 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Drake is a great university overall.

There were approximately 15 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Drake in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Drake University

6
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In IA
35.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Decorah, Luther is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 7th out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were approximately 17 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Luther in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Luther College

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Design Degrees Awarded
$34,800 Median Starting Salary

UNI is a moderately-sized public university located in the small city of Cedar Falls. A Best Colleges rank of #199 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNI is a great university overall.

There were roughly 38 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UNI in the most recent year we have data available. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from University of Northern Iowa receive an earnings boost of around $3,075 above the average income of design & applied arts graduates.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Northern Iowa

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In NE
52 Design Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Lincoln, UNL is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #138 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 52 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UNL in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Nebraska - Lincoln

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Design Degrees Awarded
17.6% Growth in Graduates

Maryville U is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #202 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Maryville U is a great university overall.

There were about 51 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Maryville U in the most recent year we have data available. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Maryville University of Saint Louis receive an earnings boost of approximately $7,744 above the typical earnings of design & applied arts graduates.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Maryville University of Saint Louis

10
Century College crest
Century College
White Bear Lake, MN
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
73 Design Degrees Awarded
15.1% Growth in Graduates

Century College is a medium-sized public college located in the suburb of White Bear Lake. This college ranks 19th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 73 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Century College in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Century College receive an earnings boost of about $6,880 over the average income of design & applied arts graduates.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Century College

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best design & applied arts colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Minnesota284533
Missouri283430
Kansas266228
Iowa264479
Nebraska238223
North Dakota21036
South Dakota20457

View All Rankings >

One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Design & Applied Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Design Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
Graphic Design822
Interior Design495
Visual Communications396
Commercial & Advertising Art327
Commercial Photography106
Industrial Design103
Illustration72
Game & Interactive Media Design67
Other Design & Applied Arts43
Fashion Design20

View All Design Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Design

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts1,776
Music1,331
Drama & Theater Arts879
Film, Video & Photographic Arts497
General Visual & Performing Arts364
Dance110
Arts & Media Management76
Other Visual Art27

View All Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options