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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major

650 Ranked Colleges
19,770 Degrees Awarded
$33,319 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Design Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 19,770 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major” ranking looked at 650 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

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree design students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts

1

Out of the 650 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwest College of Art & Design landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwest College of Art & Design is located in Poulsbo, Washington and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at NCAD

1
Design Institute of San Diego crest
Design Institute of San Diego
San Diego, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Design Institute of San Diego. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major. Located in San Diego, California, this small private for-profit school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Design Institute of San Diego

3
Nossi College of Art crest
Nossi College of Art
Madison, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Nossi College of Art. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major. Nossi College of Art is a small school located in Madison, Tennessee that handed out 41 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Nossi College of Art

4

Out of the 650 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design landed the #4 spot on the list. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is a small school located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that handed out 45 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Full Pennsylvania College of Art and Design Design & Applied Arts Report

5
The Academy crest
American Academy of Art
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 650 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major that were part of this year’s ranking, American Academy of Art landed the #5 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at The Academy

6

With a ranking of #6, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. MIAD is a small school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 106 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design

7

College for Creative Studies landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 155 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design 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.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at College for Creative Studies

8
LCAD crest
Laguna College of Art and Design
Laguna Beach, California

With a ranking of #8, Laguna College of Art and Design did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. Laguna College of Art and Design is a private not-for-profit institution located in Laguna Beach, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 more about Design & Applied Arts at LCAD

9

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design is a small private for-profit school situated in Lakewood, Colorado. It awarded 117 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at RMCAD

10

Columbus College of Art and Design landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 119 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at CCAD

11
AAC crest
Art Academy of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio

With a ranking of #11, Art Academy of Cincinnati did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. This small school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 15 bachelors’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.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at AAC

12
Otis College of Art and Design crest
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, California

Otis College of Art and Design ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. Otis College of Art and Design is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 114 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Otis College of Art and Design Design & Applied Arts Report

13

Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. Located in San Juan, , this small public school awarded 38 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Diseno de Puerto Rico

14

Cleveland Institute of Art came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. CIA is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 66 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 Cleveland Institute of Art

15
Moore College crest
Moore College of Art and Design
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Moore College of Art and Design came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. This small school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Moore College of Art and Design

16
The North Coast College crest
The North Coast College
Lakewood, Ohio

The North Coast College ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. This small school is located in Lakewood, Ohio, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 The North Coast College

17
Art Center College of Design crest
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, California

With a ranking of #17, Art Center College of Design did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. Art Center College of Design is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 252 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Art Center College of Design

18

Massachusetts College of Art and Design landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a public institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 194 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. 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.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Massachusetts College of Art and Design

19

Minneapolis College of Art and Design landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 67 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Minneapolis College of Art and Design

20

Ringling College of Art and Design came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. Located in Sarasota, Florida, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 114 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Ringling College

21

The Art Institute of Austin did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking, coming in at #21. The Art Institute of Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

Full The Art Institute of Austin Design & Applied Arts Report

22
Montserrat College of Art crest
Montserrat College of Art
Beverly, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #22, Montserrat College of Art did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. Montserrat College of Art is a small school located in Beverly, Massachusetts that handed out 17 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Montserrat College of Art

23

AI Miami International University of Art and Design came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. Miami, Florida is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 70 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at International Fine Arts College

24
Kansas City Art Institute crest
Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City, Missouri

With a ranking of #24, Kansas City Art Institute did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. Kansas City Art Institute is a private not-for-profit institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Kansas City Art Institute

25

The Art Institute of Dallas did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at The Art Institute of Dallas

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Pratt Institute crest
Pratt Institute - Main
Brooklyn, New York
28
Cornish College of the Arts crest
Cornish College of the Arts
Seattle, Washington
29
Cogswell crest
Cogswell College
San Jose, California
30
31
32
33
34
Interior Designers Institute crest
Interior Designers Institute
Newport Beach, California
35
36
37
Maine College of Art crest
Maine College of Art
Portland, Maine
38
Wade College crest
Wade College
Dallas, Texas
39
California College of the Arts crest
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California
40
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
41
42
SVA crest
School of Visual Arts
New York, New York
43
44
45
Ai Virginia Beach crest
The Art Institute of Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, Virginia
46
47
PAFA crest
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
48
SAE Expression College crest
SAE Expression College
Emeryville, California
49
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York
50
Cazenovia crest
Cazenovia College
Cazenovia, New York

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 The University of the Arts Philadelphia, PA
52 Villa Maria College Buffalo, NY
53 Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI
54 William Peace University Raleigh, NC
55 Woodbury University Burbank, CA
56 University of Advancing Technology Tempe, AZ
57 FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - San Francisco San Francisco, CA
58 University of Wisconsin - Stout Menomonie, WI
59 EDP University - San Juan San Juan, PR
60 Albright College Reading, PA
61 Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA
62 Oklahoma Christian University Edmond, OK
63 Lesley University Cambridge, MA
64 Cedarville University Cedarville, OH
65 Meredith College Raleigh, NC
Rank College Location
66 St. Andrews University Laurinburg, NC
67 Centenary University Hackettstown, NJ
68 Clark Atlanta University Atlanta, GA
69 Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA
70 John Brown University Siloam Springs, AR
71 Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Fajardo Fajardo, PR
72 Adrian College Adrian, MI
73 Mount Mary University Milwaukee, WI
74 Berkeley College - Woodland Park Woodland Park, NJ
75 Defiance College Defiance, OH
76 New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY
77 Kentucky Wesleyan College Owensboro, KY
78 Columbia College Hollywood Tarzana, CA
78 Hampshire College Amherst, MA
80 Full Sail University Winter Park, FL
81 Flagler College - St Augustine Saint Augustine, FL
82 Lubbock Christian University Lubbock, TX
83 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
84 High Point University High Point, NC
85 Los Angeles Film School Hollywood, CA
86 Taylor University Upland, IN
87 McPherson College McPherson, KS
88 LIM College New York, NY
89 FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
90 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA
Rank College Location
91 Chowan University Murfreesboro, NC
92 Eureka College Eureka, IL
93 California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA
94 Marymount University Arlington, VA
95 Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
96 Walla Walla University College Place, WA
97 Concord University Athens, WV
98 Converse College Spartanburg, SC

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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