by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.
Across California, there were 4,575 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,016 and $26,876 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 1,133 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,972 and $17,699 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California” ranking analyzed 81 colleges that offered a degree in design and applied arts. That schools that top this list have a program in design and applied arts in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for california associate degree design students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Interior Designers Institute. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Interior Designers Institute is a small private for-profit school situated in Newport Beach, California. It awarded 38 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Interior Designers Institute
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Platt College - San Diego. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California. Platt College - San Diego is a small private for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 33 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Out of the 81 schools in the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. FIDM Los Angeles is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 256 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Out of the 81 schools in the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Los Angeles Pacific College landed the #5 spot on the list. Los Angeles Pacific College is a small school located in Los-Angeles, California that handed out 2 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Los Angeles Pacific College
Platt College - Ontario ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Ontario, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associates’s design degrees to 13 students 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%.
Columbia College Hollywood ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Columbia College Hollywood is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tarzana, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Columbia College Hollywood Design & Applied Arts Report
West Valley College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking. West Valley College is a medium-sized public school situated in Saratoga, California. It awarded 30 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Los Angeles Trade Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Los Angeles, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 25 degrees to qualified associates’s design students in 2020-2021.
Full Los Angeles Trade Technical College Design & Applied Arts Report
San Diego City College ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. San Diego City College is a fairly large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 20 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at San Diego City College
San Diego Mesa College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s design degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at San Diego Mesa College
With a ranking of #12, Foothill College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Los Altos Hills, California, and it awarded 23 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Foothill College
With a ranking of #13, Canada College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Redwood City, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s design degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
Mission College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking, coming in at #14. Mission College is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 9 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Mission College
Sierra College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking. Sierra College is a public institution located in Rocklin, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Napa Valley College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking. This small school is located in Napa, California, and it awarded 9 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Napa Valley College
With a ranking of #17, Santa Monica College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Santa Monica College is a public institution located in Santa Monica, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 61 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Academy of Art University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Academy of Art University is a private for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 Academy of Art University
With a ranking of #19, Las Positas College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Located in Livermore, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified associates’s design students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
San Joaquin Delta College ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Delta is a fairly large public school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 20 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at San Joaquin Delta College
Palomar College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified associates’s design students in 2020-2021.
Monterey Peninsula College ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Monterey Peninsula College is a medium-sized school located in Monterey, California that handed out 8 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Monterey Peninsula College
With a ranking of #23, Cuyamaca College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Cuyamaca College is a medium-sized public school situated in El Cajon, California. It awarded 6 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #24, American River College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. American River is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 associates’s design degrees to qualified students.
Mt. San Jacinto College ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. San Jacinto, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s design degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Mt. San Jacinto College
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
