College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Far Western US Region

20 Ranked Colleges
217 Degrees Awarded
$68,111 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region” 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 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 217 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $61,693 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking looked at 20 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.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Design Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region”.

Top 20 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Far Western US Region

1
Otis College of Art and Design crest
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Otis College of Art and Design. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. Otis College of Art and Design is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

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.

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

2
California College of the Arts crest
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California

Out of the 20 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California College of the Arts landed the #2 spot on the list. California College of the Arts is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 masters’s 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 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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at California College of the Arts

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pacific Northwest College of Art. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. Pacific Northwest College of Art is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Portland, Oregon. It awarded 7 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

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

4
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

Out of the 20 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Academy of Art University landed the #4 spot on the list. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized private for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 77 masters’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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Academy of Art University

5
Art Center College of Design crest
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Art Center College of Design. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 24 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

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. 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%.

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

6
LCAD crest
Laguna College of Art and Design
Laguna Beach, California

Laguna College of Art and Design did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #6. Laguna College of Art and Design is located in Laguna Beach, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

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

7
New York Film Academy crest
New York Film Academy
Burbank, California

New York Film Academy landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Burbank, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s design degrees to 6 students 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

8
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. This large school is located in Eugene, Oregon, and it awarded 11 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Oregon

9
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #9. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 21 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full University of Southern California Design & Applied Arts Report

10
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s design degrees to 9 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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at SFSU

11

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #11. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s design degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of California - Los Angeles

12

California State University - Long Beach ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at CSULB

13
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

With a ranking of #13, Washington State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. Pullman, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s design degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Washington State University

14

With a ranking of #14, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s design degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

15
Design Institute of San Diego crest
Design Institute of San Diego
San Diego, California

Design Institute of San Diego ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region list. Design Institute of San Diego is a private for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 masters’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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Design Institute of San Diego

15
SNC crest
Sierra Nevada College
Incline Village, Nevada

Sierra Nevada College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Incline Village, Nevada is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s design degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at SNC

15
Western Oregon State College crest
Western Oregon University
Monmouth, Oregon

Western Oregon University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Monmouth, Oregon is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s design degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Western Oregon University

15

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 0 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Berkeley Design & Applied Arts Report

15
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Stanford University

15
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, California

National University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #15. National University is a fairly large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 0 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at National University

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options