2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools
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
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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.
AA in Digital Photography
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.
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BA in Digital Photography
Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Learn More
Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School for Your Bachelor's Degree
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:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on design & applied arts students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - The number of design & applied arts students who choose to seek a bachelor's degree at the school.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for design & applied arts to pay back their student loans after receiving their bachelor's degree.
- 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 bachelor's degree.
More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools
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.
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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.
BA in Digital Photography
Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Learn More
BA in Game Art & Development
Get on the right path to the fast-paced, exciting world of video game art and design with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
Learn More
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
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
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
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
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
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