by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 36,301 people earned their degree in design and applied arts, making the major the 36th most popular in the United States. 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 the Far Western US region, there were 5,956 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,100 and $26,477 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,168 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,720 and $23,024 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking analyzed 78 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.
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 in the Far Western US Region” list to help you make the college decision.
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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwest College of Art & Design. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region. Poulsbo, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
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 in the Far Western US Region. Design Institute of San Diego is a small private for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 18 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Design Institute of San Diego
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Laguna College of Art and Design. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. Laguna Beach, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 94 students 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Otis College of Art and Design. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 114 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Otis College of Art and Design
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Art Center College of Design. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region. Art Center College of Design is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 252 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.
Full Art Center College of Design Design & Applied Arts Report
Cornish College of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #6. Cornish College of the Arts is a small school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 34 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
Full Cornish College of the Arts Design & Applied Arts Report
Cogswell College ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. San Jose, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 29 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%.
Pacific Northwest College of Art did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Portland, Oregon, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Pacific Northwest College of Art
Interior Designers Institute ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. Interior Designers Institute is a small school located in Newport Beach, California that handed out 13 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Interior Designers Institute
With a ranking of #10, California College of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. California College of the Arts is located in San Francisco, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 89 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at California College of the Arts
Newschool of Architecture and Design ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. Newschool of Architecture and Design is a small school located in San Diego, California that handed out 24 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Newschool of Architecture and Design
SAE Expression College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Emeryville, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at SAE Expression College
Woodbury University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Woodbury is a small school located in Burbank, California that handed out 30 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%. 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.
With a ranking of #15, Academy of Art University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 81 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Columbia College Hollywood landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. This small school is located in Tarzana, California, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Columbia College Hollywood
Los Angeles Film School landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Hollywood, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Los Angeles Film School
FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Full FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #19, California Institute of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. CalArts is located in Valencia, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 California Institute of the Arts
With a ranking of #20, Walla Walla University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. Walla Walla U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in College Place, Washington. It awarded 15 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Walla Walla University
California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #21. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 143 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
San Francisco State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 193 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Seattle Pacific University ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. This small school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Seattle Pacific University Design & Applied Arts Report
San Jose State University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 201 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #25, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 228 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.
Full University of California - Davis Design & Applied Arts Report
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
