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2023 Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts

133 Ranked Colleges
1,931 Degrees Awarded
$52,263 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master's

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,931 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s” ranking looked at 133 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in design and applied arts. To top this list, a school must have a successful design and applied arts program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

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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 “Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to 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.

Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s”.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Savannah College of Art and Design. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s. Savannah, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s design degrees to 245 students 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%.

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

2

Out of the 133 schools in the Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Maryland Institute College of Art landed the #2 spot on the list. Maryland Institute College of Art is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 180 masters’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 4.1% 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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Maryland Institute College of Art

2
Pratt Institute crest
Pratt Institute - Main
Brooklyn, New York

Out of the 133 schools in the Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Pratt Institute - Main landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 180 degrees to qualified masters’s design students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. 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 Pratt Institute - Main

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

Out of the 133 schools in the Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s 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 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%.

Full Academy of Art University Design & Applied Arts Report

5
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Liberty University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s. Liberty University is a large school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 75 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Liberty University

6
Full Sail University crest
Full Sail University
Winter Park, Florida

Full Sail University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in Winter Park, Florida, and it awarded 70 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Full Sail University

7
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York

With a ranking of #7, The New School did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s list. New School University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 50 masters’s 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.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at New School University

8

New York School of Interior Design landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s ranking. New York School of Interior Design is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 48 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at New York School of Interior Design

9

With a ranking of #9, Atlantic University College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s list. Atlantic University College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Guaynabo, . It awarded 39 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Full Atlantic University College Design & Applied Arts Report

10
SVA crest
School of Visual Arts
New York, New York

School of Visual Arts did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #10. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s design degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at School of Visual Arts

11
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s ranking. Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 32 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Carnegie Mellon University

11

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s ranking. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is located in Bowling Green, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Design & Applied Arts Report

13

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s ranking. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 28 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Design & Applied Arts Report

14
California College of the Arts crest
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California

California College of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #14. California College of the Arts is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 25 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 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%.

Full California College of the Arts Design & Applied Arts Report

14

Rochester Institute of Technology ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s list. Located in Rochester, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified masters’s design students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Full RIT Design & Applied Arts Report

16

Fashion Institute of Technology came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s ranking. FIT SUNY is located in New York, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Fashion Institute of Technology Design & Applied Arts Report

16
Art Center College of Design crest
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, California

Art Center College of Design landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s ranking. 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 24 masters’s 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%. 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Art Center College of Design

16
Marymount crest
Marymount University
Arlington, Virginia

With a ranking of #16, Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s list. Marymount University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Arlington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Marymount Design & Applied Arts Report

19

With a ranking of #19, Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s list. ASU - Skysong is a large public school situated in Scottsdale, Arizona. It awarded 23 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at ASU - Skysong

20
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified masters’s design students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 North Carolina State University Design & Applied Arts Report

20

Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s ranking. OHIO Athens is a large school located in Athens, Ohio that handed out 22 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Full OHIO Athens Design & Applied Arts Report

22
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #22, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s list. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 21 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. 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 University of Southern California

23
UB crest
University of Baltimore
Baltimore, Maryland

University of Baltimore landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s ranking. This small school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 20 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Full UB Design & Applied Arts Report

24

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 18 masters’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

Full UC Design & Applied Arts Report

24
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Design Major for a Master’s ranking. Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Boston University

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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