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2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools

300 Colleges in the United States
19,864 Bachelor's Degrees
$33,435 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #27 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 300 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 19,864 bachelor's degrees in design & applied arts to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools The design bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. 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 make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

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 bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Design Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Design & Applied Arts in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools for a Bachelor's in Design

1
592 Annual Graduates
$27,023 Median Starting Salary
$34,483 Median Student Debt

It's difficult to beat Fashion Institute of Technology if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of New York, FIT SUNY is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the design program earn an average of $27,023 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Fashion Institute of Technology

2

Carnegie Mellon University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Carnegie Mellon University get an earnings boost of approximately $32,839 over the typical earnings of design & applied arts majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Carnegie Mellon University

3
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
100 Annual Graduates
$46,181 Median Starting Salary
$53,296 Median Student Debt

Syracuse University is a good choice for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Syracuse is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Syracuse.

Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Syracuse University receive $12,746 more than the typical design graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Syracuse University

4
221 Annual Graduates
$37,565 Median Starting Salary
$32,090 Median Student Debt

Iowa State University is a great decision for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a very large student population.

Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Iowa State University make $4,130 more than the typical design student.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Iowa State University

5
273 Annual Graduates
$36,040 Median Starting Salary
$98,854 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Brooklyn, Pratt Institute is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Pratt Institute - Main make $2,605 more than the standard design student.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Pratt Institute - Main

6
219 Annual Graduates
$52,526 Median Starting Salary
$24,320 Median Student Debt

UC is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Cincinnati.

Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus earn a boost of around $19,091 above the average earnings of design & applied arts graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

7
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
169 Annual Graduates
$38,154 Median Starting Salary
$69,362 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Drexel University make $4,719 more than the typical design grad.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Drexel University

8
123 Annual Graduates
$42,462 Median Starting Salary
$24,350 Median Student Debt

Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts major at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities make $9,027 more than the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

9

USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.

Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of Southern California get an earnings boost of around $31,411 over the average earnings of design & applied arts graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Southern California

10
182 Annual Graduates
$35,960 Median Starting Salary
$32,770 Median Student Debt

ASU - Tempe is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Tempe.

Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Arizona State University - Tempe make $2,525 more than the average design graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Arizona State University - Tempe

11
110 Annual Graduates
$24,706 Median Starting Salary
$38,212 Median Student Debt

Located in the large city of Boston, Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a public college with a small student population.

Soon after graduation, design bachelor's recipients generally make about $24,706 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Massachusetts College of Art and Design

12
New School University crest
The New School
New York, NY
476 Annual Graduates
$24,804 Median Starting Salary
$78,460 Median Student Debt

New School University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the design program state that they receive average early career wages of $24,804.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from The New School

13
37 Annual Graduates
$26,479 Median Starting Salary
$52,901 Median Student Debt

FIDM Los Angeles is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the design program earn an average of $26,479 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles

14

Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a very large student population.

Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of Washington - Seattle Campus receive an earnings boost of about $30,014 above the typical earnings of design & applied arts graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

15

Northeastern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston.

Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Northeastern University earn $16,292 more than the standard design grad.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Northeastern University

16
122 Annual Graduates
$34,709 Median Starting Salary
$50,572 Median Student Debt

RIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Rochester.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the design program earn about $34,709 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Rochester Institute of Technology

17
228 Annual Graduates
$47,053 Median Starting Salary
$85,769 Median Student Debt

Located in the midsize city of Pasadena, Art Center College of Design is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts program at Art Center College of Design get $13,618 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Art Center College of Design

18

Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population.

Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin receive $11,071 more than the standard design graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from The University of Texas at Austin

19

Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.

Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of Notre Dame receive an earnings boost of about $13,390 above the average income of design & applied arts majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Notre Dame

20
694 Annual Graduates
$23,400 Median Starting Salary
$97,681 Median Student Debt

SCAD is a fairly large private not-for-profit college located in the city of Savannah.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the design program state that they receive average early career earnings of $23,400.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Savannah College of Art and Design

21

Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

After graduation, design bachelor's recipients usually make about $33,615 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Washington University in St Louis

22
250 Annual Graduates
$36,351 Median Starting Salary
$36,650 Median Student Debt

Kent State is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Kent.

Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Kent State University at Kent make $2,916 more than the standard design grad.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Kent State University at Kent

23

WWU is a large public university located in the small city of Bellingham.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the design program report average early career wages of $31,078.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Western Washington University

24
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
98 Annual Graduates
$36,784 Median Starting Salary
$48,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population.

Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Michigan State University earn a boost of approximately $3,349 above the typical earnings of design & applied arts graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Michigan State University

25
239 Annual Graduates
$29,630 Median Starting Salary
$41,085 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the design program earn an average of $29,630 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Columbia College Chicago

Rest of the Top Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools

26
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
27
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
28
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
29
30
31
32

33

34
35
36
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, AL
37
38
39
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
40
41

42

43
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
44
45
46
47
48
49
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
50

Remaining Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 20% of the 300 different United States design & applied arts schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
52 Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA
53 School of Visual Arts New York, NY
54 University of Wisconsin - Stout Menomonie, WI
55 Clemson University Clemson, SC
56 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
57 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
58 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
59 Columbus College of Art and Design Columbus, OH
60 Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Atlanta, GA

Additional Noteworthy Schools

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

Rank College Location
61 Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI
62 Endicott College Beverly, MA
63 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
64 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
65 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
66 Belmont University Nashville, TN
67 Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA
68 University of North Texas Denton, TX
69 DePaul University Chicago, IL
70 California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA
71 Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY
72 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
73 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
74 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
75 Ringling College of Art and Design Sarasota, FL
76 Minneapolis College of Art and Design Minneapolis, MN
77 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY
78 University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA
79 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
80 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
81 American University Washington, DC
82 Cleveland Institute of Art Cleveland, OH
83 Baylor University Waco, TX
84 Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH
85 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
86 Luther College Decorah, IA
87 Lesley University Cambridge, MA
88 The University of the Arts Philadelphia, PA
89 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
90 Liberty University Lynchburg, VA
91 Laguna College of Art and Design Laguna Beach, CA
92 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
93 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
94 Suffolk University Boston, MA
95 University of Denver Denver, CO
96 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
97 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
98 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
99 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
100 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL

Design & Applied Arts by Region

View the Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree 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

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

Design Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Graphic Design 5,377
Interior Design 3,013
Visual Communications 2,956
Illustration 2,309
Fashion Design 1,897
Industrial Design 1,427
Game & Interactive Media Design 1,107
Other Design & Applied Arts 938
Commercial & Advertising Art 726
Commercial Photography 114

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 24,429
Music 15,545
Drama & Theater Arts 12,746
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 12,366
General Visual & Performing Arts 4,118
Arts & Media Management 2,916
Dance 2,711
Other Visual Art 479
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 46
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art 4

Notes and References

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