by our College Data Analytics Team
[Design And Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. 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 6 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.
Our analysis ranked Arapahoe Community College the top school for design and applied arts graduate earnings in Colorado. Located in the suburb of Littleton, Arapahoe Community College is a public institution. Design And Applied Arts graduates of Arapahoe Community College earn a median of about $44,854 a year early in their careers.
Metropolitan State College Of Denver came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying design and applied arts schools. Set in the city of Denver, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a public institution. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from Metropolitan State College Of Denver make a median of around $64,448 per year.
Rocky Mountain College Of Art And Design came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying design and applied arts schools. Located in the suburb of Lakewood, Rocky Mountain College Of Art And Design is a private for-profit institution. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from Rocky Mountain College Of Art And Design make a median of around $45,743 per year.
Mesa State College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying design and applied arts schools. Located in the city of Grand Junction, Mesa State College is a public institution. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from Mesa State College make a median of around $34,036 per year.
Front Range Community College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying design and applied arts schools. Set in the suburb of Westminster, Front Range Community College is a public institution. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from Front Range Community College typically earn about $21,397 annually.
University Of Denver ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying design and applied arts schools. Located in the city of Denver, University Of Denver is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from University Of Denver typically earn about $31,104 annually.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their design and applied arts graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 6 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.