2024 Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Virginia

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 Virginia ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 141 associate degrees in design & applied arts to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Associate Degree Schools List

Average Earnings

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 full 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Virginia.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Design & Applied Arts in Virginia

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in design & applied arts.

Top Virginia Schools for an Associate in Design

1

Northern Virginia Community College
Annandale, VA

63 Annual Graduates

$18,250 Median Student Debt

Northern Virginia Community College is a great option for individuals interested in an associate degree in design & applied arts. Northern Virginia Community College is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Annandale.More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Northern Virginia Community College

2

Tidewater Community College
Norfolk, VA

44 Annual Graduates

$22,526 Median Starting Salary

$12,320 Median Student Debt

It's difficult to beat Tidewater Community College if you want to pursue an associate degree in design & applied arts. Located in the midsize city of Norfolk, Tidewater Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the design program earn around $22,526 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Tidewater Community College

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
Mississippi	143	52
Georgia	121	159
Florida	121	315
North Carolina	120	393
Arkansas	105	12
Tennessee	102	87
West Virginia	92	8
Kentucky	90	18
Louisiana	80	34
South Carolina	77	80
Alabama	69	33

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Rankings in Majors Related to Design

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

Design Focus Areas

Major	Annual Graduates
Visual Communications	86
Interior Design	55

Most Popular Related Majors

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts	79
Other Visual Art	72
Film, Video & Photographic Arts	45
General Visual & Performing Arts	28
Music	11
Drama & Theater Arts	3

Notes and References

• 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.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard). More about our data sources and methodologies.