by our College Data Analytics Team
[Design And Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a design and applied arts degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 33 schools on the early-career earnings of their design and applied arts graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send design and applied arts graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Syracuse University tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying design and applied arts schools in New York. Set in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from Syracuse University typically earn about $64,921 annually.
Marymount Manhattan College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in design and applied arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Marymount Manhattan College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from Marymount Manhattan College typically earn about $52,162 annually.
A rank of #3 makes Finger Lakes Community College one of the highest-paying schools for design and applied arts. Set in the rural area of Canandaigua, Finger Lakes Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $37,547.
Strong graduate earnings at Onondaga Community College earned it the #4 place for design and applied arts. Onondaga Community College is a public school located in the suburb of Syracuse. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from Onondaga Community College make a median of around $35,938 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Suny College At Buffalo earned it the #5 place for design and applied arts. Suny College At Buffalo is a public school located in the city of Buffalo. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from Suny College At Buffalo typically earn about $48,191 annually.
Pratt Institute Main earned the #6 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Pratt Institute Main is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Brooklyn. Design And Applied Arts graduates of Pratt Institute Main earn a median of about $69,488 a year early in their careers.
State University Of New York At New Paltz earned the #7 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of New Paltz, State University Of New York At New Paltz is a public institution. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $57,835.
Marist College came in at #8 for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Marist College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from Marist College typically earn about $65,701 annually.
Rochester Institute Of Technology came in at #9 for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Rochester, Rochester Institute Of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $55,746.
Lim College came in at #10 for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of New York, Lim College is a private for-profit institution. Design And Applied Arts graduates of Lim College earn a median of about $56,151 a year early in their careers.
The New School came in at #11 for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of New York, The New School is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $62,983.
Monroe Community College placed #12 among the highest-paying schools for design and applied arts. Monroe Community College is a public school located in the suburb of Rochester. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from Monroe Community College make a median of around $38,571 per year.
Adirondack Community College earned the #13 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Queensbury, Adirondack Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $31,551.
Bryant And Stratton College Buffalo earned the #14 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Buffalo, Bryant And Stratton College Buffalo is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from Bryant And Stratton College Buffalo typically earn about $39,599 annually.
Bryant And Stratton College Greece earned the #15 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Rochester, Bryant And Stratton College Greece is a private not-for-profit institution. Design And Applied Arts graduates of Bryant And Stratton College Greece earn a median of about $39,599 a year early in their careers.
Bryant And Stratton College Syracuse North placed #16 among the highest-paying schools for design and applied arts. Bryant And Stratton College Syracuse North is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Liverpool. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $39,599.
Suffolk County Community College ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying design and applied arts schools. Located in the suburb of Selden, Suffolk County Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $38,842.
The Sage Colleges ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying design and applied arts schools. The Sage Colleges is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Troy. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from The Sage Colleges make a median of around $41,092 per year.
Farmingdale State College earned the #19 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Farmingdale, Farmingdale State College is a public institution. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $51,484.
Suny College At Oswego ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying design and applied arts schools. Located in the town of Oswego, Suny College At Oswego is a public institution. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from Suny College At Oswego make a median of around $43,544 per year.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earned the #21 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Troy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute make a median of around $36,191 per year.
Fashion Institute Of Technology placed #22 among the highest-paying schools for design and applied arts. Set in the city of New York, Fashion Institute Of Technology is a public institution. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from Fashion Institute Of Technology typically earn about $50,357 annually.
Nazareth College ranked #23 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying design and applied arts schools. Located in the suburb of Rochester, Nazareth College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $33,461.
Sullivan County Community College landed the #24 spot for design and applied arts salaries this year. Sullivan County Community College is a public school located in the rural area of Loch Sheldrake. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from Sullivan County Community College typically earn about $27,710 annually.
School Of Visual Arts earned the #25 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. School Of Visual Arts is a private for-profit school located in the city of New York. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from School Of Visual Arts make a median of around $53,513 per year.
These schools rounded out the top of this year’s highest-paid design and applied arts ranking:
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries design and applied arts graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 33 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.