2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major
495
Ranked Colleges
8,050
Degrees Awarded
$23,224
Avg Salary
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Design & Applied Arts is the 36th most popular major in the country with 36,301 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, design and applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,426 and had an average of $25,481 in loans still to pay off.
At the associate degree level specifically, there were 8,050 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,806 and $19,336 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major” ranking looked at 495 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in design and applied arts. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in design and applied arts.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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.
Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major
The colleges and universities below are the best for associate degree design students.
Top 25 Most Focused Associate Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The Modern College of Design. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major list. The Modern College of Design is a small school located in Kettering, Ohio that handed out 59 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at The Modern College of Design
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Interior Designers Institute. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major list. Newport Beach, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associates’s design degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.
Full Interior Designers Institute Design & Applied Arts Report
Out of the 495 schools in the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Delaware College of Art and Design landed the #3 spot on the list. Wilmington, Delaware is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associates’s design degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Delaware College of Art and Design Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Platt College - San Diego. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major list. Platt College - San Diego is a private for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 33 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Platt College - San Diego
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wade College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major. Wade College is a private for-profit institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Wade College
With a ranking of #7, Sessions College for Professional Design did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major list. Sessions College is a private for-profit institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Sessions College Design & Applied Arts Report
FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major ranking, coming in at #8. FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles is a small private for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 256 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles
Fashion Institute of Technology came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s design degrees to 763 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Fashion Institute of Technology
The North Coast College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. The North Coast College is a small school located in Lakewood, Ohio that handed out 2 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at The North Coast College
New York School of Interior Design came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associates’s design degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at NYSID
The Art Institute of Dallas landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. The Art Institute of Dallas is a small private for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 10 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at The Art Institute of Dallas
Stevens - The Institute of Business & Arts came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. Siba is a private for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Siba Design & Applied Arts Report
The Art Institute of Austin did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major ranking, coming in at #14. Ai Austin is a private for-profit institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Ai Austin Design & Applied Arts Report
Arapahoe Community College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. Littleton, Colorado is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s design degrees to 59 students in 2020-2021.
Full Arapahoe Community College Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #16, International Business College - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major list. This small school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 13 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at International Business College - Indianapolis
Los Angeles Pacific College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major ranking, coming in at #17. Los Angeles Pacific College is a small private for-profit school situated in Los-Angeles, California. It awarded 2 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Los Angeles Pacific College
Guam Community College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. GCC is located in Mangilao, and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 associates’s design degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Guam Community College
Delta College of Arts & Technology landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. Delta College of Arts & Technology is a small private for-profit school situated in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It awarded 5 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Delta College of Arts & Technology Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #20, Bryant & Stratton College - Greece did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major list. Bryant & Stratton College - Greece is a small school located in Rochester, New York that handed out 5 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Bryant & Stratton College - Greece
Platt College - Ontario landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. This small school is located in Ontario, California, and it awarded 13 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Platt College - Ontario Design & Applied Arts Report
Adirondack Community College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. SUNY Adirondack is a public institution located in Queensbury, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at SUNY Adirondack
Community College of Vermont ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major list. CCV is a public institution located in Montpelier, Vermont. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 25 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Community College of Vermont
EDP University - Humacao landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. Located in Humacao, , this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified associates’s design students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at EDP - Humacao
The New School landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. New School University is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 128 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full The New School Design & Applied Arts Report
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