2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California
127
Ranked Colleges
4,575
Degrees Awarded
$39,600
Avg Cost*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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 California, there were 4,575 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,016 and $26,876 respectively.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California” ranking analyzed 127 colleges that offered a degree in design and applied arts. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their design and applied arts program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools
The design school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California”.
Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in California
Out of the 127 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Design Institute of San Diego landed the #1 spot on the list. Design Institute of San Diego is a small private for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 18 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
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. 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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Design Institute of San Diego
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Interior Designers Institute. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California. Interior Designers Institute is located in Newport Beach, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
Full Interior Designers Institute Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Laguna College of Art and Design. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Laguna College of Art and Design is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Laguna Beach, California. It awarded 100 ’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%.
Full Laguna College of Art and Design Design & Applied Arts Report
Out of the 127 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Otis College of Art and Design landed the #4 spot on the list. Otis College of Art and Design is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 129 ’s 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
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Art Center College of Design. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 276 ’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 3.2% 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 Art Center College of Design Design & Applied Arts Report
Platt College - San Diego ranked #7 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Platt College - San Diego is a small school located in San Diego, California that handed out 33 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Platt College - San Diego
FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking, coming in at #8. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 288 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles
Cogswell College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking. Cogswell College is located in San Jose, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Cogswell College Design & Applied Arts Report
California College of the Arts ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Located in San Francisco, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 114 degrees to qualified ’s design students 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California College of the Arts Design & Applied Arts Report
Newschool of Architecture and Design did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking, coming in at #11. San Diego, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Newschool of Architecture and Design
With a ranking of #12, SAE Expression College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. SAE Expression College is located in Emeryville, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
Full SAE Expression College Design & Applied Arts Report
Woodbury University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking. This small school is located in Burbank, California, and it awarded 30 ’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%. 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 Woodbury University
Academy of Art University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking, coming in at #14. Located in San Francisco, California, this medium-sized private for-profit school handed out 170 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Academy of Art University
Los Angeles Pacific College ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Los Angeles Pacific College is located in Los-Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
Full Los Angeles Pacific College Design & Applied Arts Report
Columbia College Hollywood did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking, coming in at #16. Columbia College Hollywood is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tarzana, California. It awarded 16 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Columbia College Hollywood
With a ranking of #17, Platt College - Ontario did quite well on the 2023 Schools 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 ’s design degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.
Full Platt College - Ontario Design & Applied Arts Report
Los Angeles Film School did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking, coming in at #18. Los Angeles Film School is located in Hollywood, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
Full LA Film School Design & Applied Arts Report
California Institute of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking, coming in at #19. CalArts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Valencia, California. It awarded 12 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at California Institute of the Arts
California State University - Chico came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 143 diplomas to qualified ’s design students 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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Chico
San Francisco State University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 202 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 San Francisco State University
New York Film Academy came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking. New York Film Academy is a small private for-profit school situated in Burbank, California. It awarded 12 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full New York Film Academy Design & Applied Arts Report
San Jose State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 201 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 San Jose State
With a ranking of #24, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 228 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Davis Design & Applied Arts Report
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #25 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 108 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, 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%.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz Design & Applied Arts Report
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