College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

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

Best Design & Applied Arts Schools 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

Associate Degrees in Design
Bachelor's Degrees in Design
Master's Degrees in Design
Doctor's Degrees in Design

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.

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

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Design Degrees Awarded
2.3% Growth in Graduates

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
74 Design Degrees Awarded
28.4% Growth in Graduates

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

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
69 Design Degrees Awarded
1.4% Growth in Graduates

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

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
104 Design Degrees Awarded
35.6% Growth in Graduates

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

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
252 Design Degrees Awarded
$37,065 Median Starting Salary

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

6
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
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

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
253 Design Degrees Awarded
15.0% Growth in Graduates

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

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
288 Design Degrees Awarded
$27,983 Median Starting Salary

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

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 Design Degrees Awarded
13.4% Growth in Graduates

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
130 Design Degrees Awarded
$40,607 Median Starting Salary

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

11
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
105 Design Degrees Awarded
$44,353 Median Starting Salary

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

12
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
228 Design Degrees Awarded
$38,040 Median Starting Salary

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

13
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Design Degrees Awarded
$49,494 Median Starting Salary

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

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,400 Design Degrees Awarded
$29,209 Median Starting Salary

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

15
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Design Degrees Awarded
13.1% Growth in Graduates

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

16
New School University crest
The New School
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
544 Design Degrees Awarded
$44,195 Median Starting Salary

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

17
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
97 Design Degrees Awarded
$37,306 Median Starting Salary

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

18
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Design Degrees Awarded
14.0% Growth in Graduates

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

19
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
618 Design Degrees Awarded
8.7% Growth in Graduates

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

20
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
87 Design Degrees Awarded
11.5% Growth in Graduates

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

21
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Design Degrees Awarded
3.2% Growth in Graduates

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

22
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
334 Design Degrees Awarded
1.8% Growth in Graduates

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

23
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Design Degrees Awarded
30.9% Growth in Graduates

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

24
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 Design Degrees Awarded
13.7% Growth in Graduates

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

25
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Design Degrees Awarded
23.8% Growth in Graduates

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

Rest of the Top Best Design & Applied Arts Schools

26
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
27
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
28
29
30
31
32

33

34
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, AL
35
36
37
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
38
39
40
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
41

42

43
44
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
45
46
47
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
48
49
50

Remaining Award Winners

This list shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Best Design & Applied Arts Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 407 different United States design & applied arts schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI
52 Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, MA
53 Chapman University Orange, CA
54 California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA
55 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
56 Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL
57 Collin County Community College District McKinney, TX
58 Drake University Des Moines, IA
59 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
60 Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA
61 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Design & Applied Arts students that almost earned our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools award.

Rank College Location
62 Laguna College of Art and Design Laguna Beach, CA
63 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
64 Clemson University Clemson, SC
65 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
66 Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA
67 Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
68 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
69 College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI
70 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
71 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
72 Luther College Decorah, IA
73 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
74 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
75 Baylor University Waco, TX
76 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
77 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
78 School of Visual Arts New York, NY
79 DePaul University Chicago, IL
80 University of North Texas Denton, TX
81 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA

Design & Applied Arts by Region

View the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Design & Applied Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Design Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Graphic Design 8,710
Interior Design 5,840
Visual Communications 5,765
Commercial & Advertising Art 3,597
Fashion Design 3,103
Game & Interactive Media Design 2,692
Illustration 2,538
Industrial Design 1,792
Other Design & Applied Arts 1,336
Commercial Photography 928

View All Design Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 37,413
Music 25,910
Drama & Theater Arts 17,341
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 16,778
General Visual & Performing Arts 6,355
Arts & Media Management 4,788
Dance 3,288
Other Visual Art 912
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 119
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art 10

View All Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options