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. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools on the early-career earnings of their design and applied arts graduates.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose design and applied arts graduates go on to earn the most.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid design and applied arts graduates in Virginia. Set in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a public institution. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $65,699.
Marymount University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in design and applied arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Arlington, Marymount University 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 $60,370.
Strong graduate earnings at Northern Virginia Community College earned it the #3 place for design and applied arts. Northern Virginia Community College is a public school located in the suburb of Annandale. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from Northern Virginia Community College typically earn about $33,232 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Virginia Western Community College earned it the #4 place for design and applied arts. Located in the city of Roanoke, Virginia Western Community College is a public institution. Design And Applied Arts graduates of Virginia Western Community College earn a median of about $32,086 a year early in their careers.
Radford University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in design and applied arts, landing the #5 spot this year. Radford University is a public school located in the town of Radford. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from Radford University make a median of around $47,401 per year.
Liberty University earned the #6 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University 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 $45,177.
Longwood University earned the #7 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Farmville, Longwood University is a public institution. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from Longwood University make a median of around $35,612 per year.
Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #8 spot for design and applied arts salaries this year. Virginia Commonwealth University is a public school located in the city of Richmond. Design And Applied Arts graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University earn a median of about $49,801 a year early in their careers.
Tidewater Community College landed the #9 spot for design and applied arts salaries this year. Tidewater Community College is a public school located in the city of Norfolk. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $29,918.
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 · 9 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.