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
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
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.
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Featured Design & Applied Arts Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
AA in Digital Photography
Take the first step toward a career of visual expression and doing what you love with this online associate degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
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BA in Digital Photography
Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
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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
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 LouisAny 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 UniversityAny 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 CitiesAny 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 KansasBachelor'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 UniversityLocated 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 CollegeUNI 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 IowaBachelor'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 - LincolnMaryville 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 LouisCentury 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