College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Maryland

5 Colleges in Maryland
663 Design Degrees Awarded
$36,735 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #36 in popularity, design & applied arts is one of the most sought-after 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.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 5 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Maryland ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 663 degrees in design & applied arts to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School

Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Maryland The design program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Design & Applied Arts rankings. For our Best Overall Design & Applied Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Design & Applied Arts Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Design
Master's Degrees in Design

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Maryland list to help you make the college decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Design & Applied Arts in Maryland

The schools below may not offer all types of design degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

Top Maryland Schools in Design

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
334 Design Degrees Awarded
1.8% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts needs to look into Maryland Institute College of Art. Located in the city of Baltimore, MICA is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

There were roughly 334 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at MICA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the design program report average early career wages of $37,152.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Maryland Institute College of Art

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$37,577 Median Starting Salary
$21,500 Median Student Debt

Every student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts needs to take a look at University of Maryland - Baltimore County. Located in the large suburb of Baltimore, UMBC is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #200 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UMBC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 22 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UMBC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the design program state that they receive average early career income of $37,577.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Maryland - Baltimore County

3
Stevenson crest
Stevenson University
Owings Mills, MD
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$36,774 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

It's hard to beat Stevenson University if you want to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. Stevenson is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Owings Mills. A Best Colleges rank of #1028 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Stevenson is a great university overall.

There were about 18 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Stevenson in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design degree recipients generally earn an average of $36,774 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Stevenson University

4

Any student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts needs to look into University of Baltimore. UB is a small public university located in the city of Baltimore. This university ranks 24th out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were approximately 20 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UB in the most recent data year. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from University of Baltimore make $6,590 more than the standard design graduate.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Baltimore

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In MD
50.0% Growth in Graduates

Morgan State is a medium-sized public university located in the city of Baltimore. This university ranks 31st out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were approximately 4 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Morgan State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Morgan State University

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$28,432 Median Starting Salary

UMES is a small public university located in the fringe town of Princess Anne. This university ranks 33rd out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were about 6 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UMES in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the design program report average early career income of $28,432.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 334 1,234
New York 333 4,391
New Jersey 273 532
District of Columbia 188 83
Delaware 175 59

View All Rankings >

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

Design Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Other Design & Applied Arts 151
Graphic Design 119
Commercial & Advertising Art 111
Visual Communications 110
Illustration 90
Game & Interactive Media Design 37
Interior Design 21
Fashion Design 9
Commercial Photography 8
Industrial Design 7

View All Design Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Design

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 623
Music 396
Drama & Theater Arts 180
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 103
General Visual & Performing Arts 98
Dance 30
Other Visual Art 20
Arts & Media Management 4

View All Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options