2024 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools
407
Colleges in the United States
36,301
Design Degrees Awarded
$31,426
Avg Early-Career Salary
Design & Applied Arts is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #36 most popular major in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
College Factual reviewed 407 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of design & applied arts. Combined, these schools handed out 36,301 degrees in design & applied arts to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School
The design program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Design & Applied Arts rankings. We derive our Best Overall Design & Applied Arts School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Pick Your Design & Applied Arts Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Design & Applied Arts Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
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.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
ADVERTISEMENTS
Featured Design & Applied Arts Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
AA in Digital Photography
Take the first step toward a career of visual expression and doing what you love with this online associate degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Learn More
BA in Digital Photography
Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Learn More
Best Schools for Design & Applied Arts in the United States
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the design degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
25 Top Schools in Design
Any student who is interested in design & applied arts needs to check out University of Notre Dame. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.
There were about 43 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from University of Notre Dame earn $23,124 more than the standard design student.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Notre Dame
Washington University in St Louis is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.
There were approximately 74 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts program at Washington University in St Louis get $10,151 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Washington University in St Louis
Carnegie Mellon University is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.
There were roughly 69 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Carnegie Mellon University get an earnings boost of around $55,972 above the average earnings of design & applied arts graduates.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Carnegie Mellon University
It's hard to beat The University of Texas at Austin if you wish to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.
There were approximately 104 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts major at The University of Texas at Austin get $21,709 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from The University of Texas at Austin
Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.
There were roughly 252 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Iowa State University get an earnings boost of about $5,639 above the average income of design & applied arts graduates.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Iowa State University
Graduate Certificate
Highest Degree Type
36th
Most Popular In PA
Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.
There were about 6 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Pennsylvania
UC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Cincinnati. This university ranks 5th out of 96 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.
There were roughly 253.00000000000003 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus make $18,722 more than the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
FIDM Los Angeles is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
There were about 288 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at FIDM Los Angeles in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the design program make around $27,983 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles
USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 67 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. After graduation, design degree recipients generally make about $29,631 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Southern California
Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.
There were roughly 130 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn a boost of around $9,181 over the average income of design & applied arts majors.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.
There were about 105 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive $12,927 more than the typical design student.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 13th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 228 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from University of California - Davis make $6,614 more than the typical design grad.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of California - Davis
Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.
There were about 38 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at University of Washington - Seattle Campus make $18,068 above the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Located in the large city of New York, FIT SUNY is a public school with a moderately-sized student population. This school ranks 7th out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were roughly 1400 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at FIT SUNY in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, design degree recipients usually make an average of $29,209 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Fashion Institute of Technology
Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were about 61 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from University of California - Los Angeles receive $8,055 more than the standard design grad.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of California - Los Angeles
New School University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York. This school ranks 15th out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were about 544 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at New School University in the most recent year we have data available. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from The New School receive an earnings boost of about $12,769 over the typical earnings of design & applied arts majors.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from The New School
Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were roughly 97 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from Michigan State University earn $5,880 more than the standard design grad.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Michigan State University
Located in the city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.
There were approximately 43 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at Texas Christian University earn $15,275 more than the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Texas Christian University
Located in the large city of Brooklyn, Pratt Institute is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
There were about 618 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Pratt Institute in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts program at Pratt Institute - Main make $12,551 above the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Pratt Institute - Main
Located in the city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 77 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.
There were roughly 87 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at University of Florida make $11,841 more than the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Florida
Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population. This school ranks 2nd out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were about 62 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Virginia Tech receive an earnings boost of about $17,992 over the typical earnings of design & applied arts majors.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Virginia Tech
Located in the city of Baltimore, MICA is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
There were roughly 334 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at MICA in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts major at Maryland Institute College of Art earn $5,726 more than the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Maryland Institute College of Art
Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.
There were approximately 68 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - Madison make $12,258 more than the typical design student.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #24 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Georgia Tech is a great school overall.
There were approximately 73 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Georgia Tech in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts program at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus make $16,773 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
Purdue is a fairly large public university located in the city of West Lafayette. This university ranks 2nd out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.
There were approximately 63 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from Purdue University - Main Campus earn $10,779 more than the standard design grad.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Purdue University - Main Campus