Ranked #19 in popularity, design & applied arts is one of the most sought-after associate degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
In 2024, College Factual analyzed 2 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 87 associate degrees in design & applied arts during the 2020-2021 academic year.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of associate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their associate degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
Other Factors We Consider
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to design & applied arts students as compared to other majors.
Major Demand - The number of design & applied arts students who choose to seek a associate degree at the school.
Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
Student Debt - How much debt design & applied arts students go into to obtain their associate degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized design & applied arts related body.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for design & applied arts students working on their associate degree.
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 the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee.
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Featured Design & Applied Arts Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
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.
Every student who is interested in an associate degree in design & applied arts needs to check out Chattanooga State Community College. Located in the city of Chattanooga, Chattanooga State Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Students who graduate with their associate from the design program report average early career wages of $23,624.
Nashville State Community College is a good option for students pursuing an associate degree in design & applied arts. Nashville State Community College is a moderately-sized public college located in the city of Nashville.
Students who graduate with their associate from the design program report average early career wages of $25,394.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.