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2024 Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Texas

7 Colleges in Texas
464 Associate Degrees
$20,816 Avg Early-Career Salary
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.

College Factual looked at 7 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 464 associate degrees in design & applied arts to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School for Your Associate Degree

Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Texas The design associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality design program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

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.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for design & applied arts students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Texas ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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

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

Top Texas Schools for an Associate in Design

1
62 Annual Graduates
$31,268 Median Starting Salary
$6,900 Median Student Debt

Every student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in design & applied arts has to check out Collin County Community College District. Located in the suburb of McKinney, Collin County Community College District is a public college with a very large student population.

Associate recipients from the design & applied arts program at Collin County Community College District get $10,452 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Collin County Community College District

2
61 Annual Graduates
$26,956 Median Starting Salary
$19,939 Median Student Debt

Austin Community College District is a good option for students interested in an associate degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a public college with a very large student population.

Associate recipients from the design & applied arts program at Austin Community College District earn $6,140 above the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

3
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, TX
74 Annual Graduates
$19,732 Median Starting Salary
$11,835 Median Student Debt

Any student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in design & applied arts has to take a look at El Centro College. Located in the city of Dallas, El Centro College is a public college with a very large student population.

Associate students who receive their degree from the design program earn around $19,732 in their early career salary.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from El Centro College

4
35 Annual Graduates
$19,274 Median Starting Salary
$15,679 Median Student Debt

Texas State Technical College is a good option for individuals interested in an associate degree in design & applied arts. TSTC is a large public college located in the midsize city of Waco.

After graduation, design associate recipients generally make about $19,274 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Texas State Technical College

5
10 Annual Graduates
$19,757 Median Starting Salary
$22,250 Median Student Debt

The Art Institute of Dallas is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of Dallas.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the design program make an average of $19,757 for their early career.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from The Art Institute of Dallas

6
San Antonio College crest
San Antonio College
San Antonio, TX

San Antonio College is a large public college located in the city of San Antonio.

Students who graduate with their associate from the design program report average early career earnings of $17,961.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from San Antonio College

7
2 Annual Graduates
$17,466 Median Starting Salary
$23,650 Median Student Debt

Located in the large city of Houston, Ai Houston is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the design program report average early career earnings of $17,466.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from The Art Institute of Houston

7
1 Annual Graduates
$17,466 Median Starting Salary
$23,650 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of San Antonio, Ai San Antonio is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the design program report average early career earnings of $17,466.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from The Art Institute of San Antonio

8
6 Annual Graduates
$17,466 Median Starting Salary
$23,650 Median Student Debt

Ai Austin is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the distant town of Bastrop.

Students who graduate with their associate from the design program state that they receive average early career wages of $17,466.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from The Art Institute of Austin

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Southwest Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Arizona 169 184
New Mexico 140 30
Oklahoma 136 42

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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 111
Graphic Design 109
Commercial & Advertising Art 78
Fashion Design 57
Interior Design 55
Commercial Photography 22
Game & Interactive Media Design 21
Illustration 11

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 262
Music 235
Drama & Theater Arts 126
General Visual & Performing Arts 125
Arts & Media Management 92
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 40
Dance 21

Notes and References

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