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2024 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in North Carolina

10 Colleges in North Carolina
529 Bachelor's Degrees
$33,594 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #27 in popularity, design & applied arts is one of the most sought-after bachelor's degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 10 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 529 bachelor's degrees in design & applied arts to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

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

Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in North Carolina 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. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a school'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 Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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

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 North Carolina.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Design & Applied Arts in North Carolina

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for design & applied arts students seeking a a bachelor's degree.

10 Top North Carolina Schools for a Bachelor's in Design

1
60 Annual Graduates
$38,731 Median Starting Salary
$20,500 Median Student Debt

North Carolina State University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts major at North Carolina State University make $5,137 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

2
167 Annual Graduates
$34,417 Median Starting Salary
$21,500 Median Student Debt

Appalachian State University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Appalachian State is a fairly large public university located in the distant town of Boone.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the design program make around $34,417 in the first couple years of working.

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

3
Meredith crest
Meredith College
Raleigh, NC
30 Annual Graduates
$34,843 Median Starting Salary
$25,000 Median Student Debt

Meredith College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Raleigh, Meredith is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Soon after graduating, design bachelor's recipients typically earn an average of $34,843 in the first five years of their career.

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

4
High Point crest
High Point University
High Point, NC

High Point University is a great option for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. High Point is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of High Point.

Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts major at High Point University make $6,652 above the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

5
1 Annual Graduates

UNC Charlotte is a very large public university located in the large city of Charlotte.More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of North Carolina at Charlotte

6
42 Annual Graduates
$34,556 Median Starting Salary
$26,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Greensboro, UNC Greensboro is a public 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 wages of $34,556.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of North Carolina at Greensboro

7
24 Annual Graduates
$40,259 Median Starting Salary
$25,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Greenville, ECU is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from East Carolina University earn a boost of about $6,665 over the average income of design & applied arts graduates.

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

8
24 Annual Graduates
$30,187 Median Starting Salary
$29,911 Median Student Debt

Located in the town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the design program earn about $30,187 in the first couple years of working.

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

9
17 Annual Graduates
$22,609 Median Starting Salary
$29,958 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Greensboro, NC A&T is a public university with a fairly large student population.

After graduation, design bachelor's recipients generally earn around $22,609 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from North Carolina A & T State University

10
23 Annual Graduates
$26,498 Median Starting Salary
$24,978 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Raleigh, WPU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the design program make about $26,498 in the first couple years of working.

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

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
Florida 225 707
Georgia 224 1,028
Tennessee 220 208
Virginia 213 635
South Carolina 195 224
Kentucky 187 64
Alabama 184 196
Louisiana 171 50
Mississippi 169 25
Arkansas 167 216
West Virginia 147 106

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One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Design & Applied Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Design Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Interior Design 185
Graphic Design 179
Industrial Design 54
Commercial Photography 42
Game & Interactive Media Design 37
Visual Communications 24
Fashion Design 5
Other Design & Applied Arts 3

Majors Similar to Design

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 644
Drama & Theater Arts 472
Music 385
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 181
Dance 115
Arts & Media Management 111
General Visual & Performing Arts 73
Other Visual Art 12

Notes and References

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