2026 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Maryland
Design & Applied Arts is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
College Factual analyzed 19 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best design & applied arts schools.
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Best Schools for Design & Applied Arts in Maryland
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall design & applied arts education in Maryland.
Top Schools in Design & Applied Arts
Our analysis ranked Maryland Institute College Of Art the best school in the country for a degree in design & applied arts. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Baltimore. Roughly 72% of students complete a degree within six years here. Maryland Institute College Of Art awarded about 279 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Maryland Institute College Of Art generally make around $48,637. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
Read more about the design & applied arts program at Maryland Institute College Of Art
Students looking for a strong design & applied arts program will find one at University Of Maryland Baltimore County, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Baltimore, University Of Maryland Baltimore County is a large public institution. About 69% of students finish within six years. About 24 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at University Of Maryland Baltimore County in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from University Of Maryland Baltimore County generally make around $34,020. Typical student debt for the program is $21,531.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University Of Maryland Baltimore County
Montgomery College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. Located in the city of Rockville, Montgomery College is a very large public university. There were roughly 91 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Montgomery College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Montgomery College generally make around $24,833. Montgomery College graduates carry a median of $11,230 in student loans.
Read more about the design & applied arts program at Montgomery College
Anne Arundel Community College is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in design & applied arts, ranking #4. Set in the suburb of Arnold, Anne Arundel Community College is a large public institution. Anne Arundel Community College awarded about 53 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Anne Arundel Community College earn a median of $59,894 early in their careers. Anne Arundel Community College graduates carry a median of $13,947 in student loans.
See the full design & applied arts program report for Anne Arundel Community College
Stevenson University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. Stevenson University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Owings Mills. About 68% of students finish within six years. Stevenson University awarded about 23 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from Stevenson University earn around $27,969 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
See the full design & applied arts program report for Stevenson University
College Of Southern Maryland placed #6 among the best design & applied arts schools. College Of Southern Maryland is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of La Plata. There were roughly 11 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at College Of Southern Maryland in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts graduates of College Of Southern Maryland earn a median of $51,719 early in their careers. College Of Southern Maryland graduates carry a median of $9,728 in student loans.
Read more about the design & applied arts program at College Of Southern Maryland
Prince Georges Community College came in at #7 for design & applied arts this year. Prince Georges Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Largo. About 30 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Prince Georges Community College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Prince Georges Community College generally make around $56,960. Prince Georges Community College graduates carry a median of $13,949 in student loans.
Get the full design & applied arts details for Prince Georges Community College
The Community College Of Baltimore County landed the #8 spot for design & applied arts this year. Set in the suburb of Baltimore, The Community College Of Baltimore County is a very large public institution. There were roughly 24 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at The Community College Of Baltimore County in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $52,440 in their early career. The Community College Of Baltimore County graduates carry a median of $18,038 in student loans.
Read more about the design & applied arts program at The Community College Of Baltimore County
Harford Community College landed the #9 spot for design & applied arts this year. Set in the rural area of Bel Air, Harford Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. About 22 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Harford Community College in the most recent year. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Harford Community College earn a median of $50,636 early in their careers. Harford Community College graduates carry a median of $12,624 in student loans.
Read more about the design & applied arts program at Harford Community College
Bowie State University came in at #10 for design & applied arts this year. Located in the suburb of Bowie, Bowie State University is a moderately-sized public university. The six-year graduation rate is 38%. Bowie State University awarded about 35 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $47,668 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $28,474.
Get the full design & applied arts details for Bowie State University
Cecil College ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. Cecil College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of North East. There were roughly 14 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Cecil College in the most recent data year.
See the full design & applied arts program report for Cecil College
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 19 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.