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 was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 “Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate” ranking analyzed 81 colleges that offered a degree in design and applied arts. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in design and applied arts.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. 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 FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate list. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 256 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Santa Monica College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate list. SMC 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.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Sierra College. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate. 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.
Out of the 81 schools in the Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, Interior Designers Institute landed the #4 spot on the list. Interior Designers Institute is a small school located in Newport Beach, California that handed out 38 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Interior Designers Institute
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Platt College - San Diego. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate list. This small school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 33 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Platt College - San Diego
West Valley College ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate list. This medium-sized school is located in Saratoga, California, and it awarded 30 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at West Valley College
San Diego Mesa College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate ranking. San Diego Mesa College is located in San Diego, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 associates’s design degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at San Diego Mesa College
Palomar College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate ranking, coming in at #7. Palomar College is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 27 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Los Angeles Trade Technical College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate ranking. Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a medium-sized school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 25 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Los Angeles Trade Technical College
Foothill College ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate list. Foothill College is a public institution located in Los Altos Hills, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 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.
American River College ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate list. American River is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 21 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at American River College
Mt. San Antonio College ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate list. Mt. San Antonio College is a public institution located in Walnut, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Mt. San Antonio College
San Joaquin Delta College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate ranking. Stockton, 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.
College of the Canyons landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate ranking. College of the Canyons is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Clarita, California. It awarded 20 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at College of the Canyons
San Diego City College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate 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 20 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at San Diego City College
Mt. San Jacinto College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate list. MSJC is a fairly large public school situated in San Jacinto, California. It awarded 20 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Moorpark College ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate list. This fairly large school is located in Moorpark, California, and it awarded 19 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #19, Orange Coast College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate list. Costa Mesa, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s design degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Orange Coast College
Santa Rosa Junior College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Rosa, California, and it awarded 17 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Santa Rosa Junior College
Chaffey College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate ranking, coming in at #20. Chaffey College is a fairly large public school situated in Rancho Cucamonga, California. It awarded 17 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 ranking of #22, Fullerton College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate list. This fairly large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 16 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #23, Saddleback College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate list. Saddleback College is a fairly large school located in Mission Viejo, California that handed out 15 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Saddleback College
With a ranking of #24, Santa Barbara City College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate list. Santa Barbara City College is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 associates’s design degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Santa Barbara City College
Golden West College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate ranking. Golden West College is a public institution located in Huntington Beach, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Golden West College
Southwestern College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate ranking. SWC Chula Vista is a fairly large public school situated in Chula Vista, California. It awarded 14 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Southwestern College
Los Angeles Valley College ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate list. LAVC is a fairly large school located in Valley Glen, California that handed out 14 associates’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Cerritos College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Design Major in California for an Associate ranking. Cerritos College is located in Norwalk, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 associates’s design degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Cerritos College
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
