by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2024, College Factual analyzed 32 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,446 bachelor's degrees in design & applied arts during the 2020-2021 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of design & applied arts for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. 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:
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
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.
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 bachelor's 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 Bachelor's Degree Schools in California.
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.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts
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Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts.
It is difficult to beat University of Southern California if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the design program state that they receive average early career earnings of $29,631.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Southern California
It's hard to beat University of California - Davis if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Davis.
Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from University of California - Davis receive $5,474 more than the average design student.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of California - Davis
It is hard to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of California - Los Angeles get an earnings boost of around $6,915 over the typical income of design & applied arts majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of California - Los Angeles
Art Center College of Design is a good decision for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit college located in the midsize city of Pasadena.
Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Art Center College of Design get an earnings boost of approximately $7,451 above the average earnings of design & applied arts majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Art Center College of Design
Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public university with a very large student population.
Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from San Jose State University receive $14,030 more than the typical design student.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from San Jose State University
Otis College of Art and Design is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts major at Otis College of Art and Design earn $5,931 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 Otis College of Art and Design
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, FIDM Los Angeles is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the design program state that they receive average early career wages of $30,424.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles
Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a very large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts program at California State University - Long Beach get $7,539 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from California State University - Long Beach
Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts program at San Francisco State University earn $4,818 above the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from San Francisco State University
Located in the large city of San Francisco, California College of the Arts is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from California College of the Arts earn $3,383 more than the typical design grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from California College of the ArtsLearn about other programs related to Design & Applied Arts that might interest you.
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts - 3D Modeling & Animation
Learn the cutting-edge skills to become a player in the multimedia design world with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts - Web Design
Gain a solid grounding in your online web design classes and exercise your creative muscle with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
BS in Game Programming & Development
Go beyond traditional software development to gain the technical expertise required to succeed in an exciting and competitive field with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 226 | 348 |
| Oregon | 185 | 303 |
| Nevada | 129 | 61 |
| Hawaii | 112 | 10 |
One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Design & Applied Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Visual Communications | 542 |
| Graphic Design | 493 |
| Game & Interactive Media Design | 310 |
| Other Design & Applied Arts | 284 |
| Illustration | 258 |
| Interior Design | 217 |
| Industrial Design | 215 |
| Fashion Design | 96 |
| Commercial & Advertising Art | 31 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 3,908 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 2,667 |
| Music | 1,679 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 1,601 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 476 |
| Dance | 314 |
| Arts & Media Management | 223 |
| Other Visual Art | 54 |
