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2024 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in New York

36 Colleges in New York
4,452 Design Degrees Awarded
$30,453 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.

College Factual reviewed 36 schools in New York to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of design & applied arts. Combined, these schools handed out 4,452 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 New York 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

Associate Degrees in Design
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 New York 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 New York

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.

10 Top New York Schools in Design

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,400 Design Degrees Awarded
$29,209 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Fashion Institute of Technology if you wish to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of New York, FIT SUNY is a public school with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #85 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means FIT SUNY is a great school overall.

There were roughly 1400 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at FIT SUNY in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the design program state that they receive average early career earnings of $29,209.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Fashion Institute of Technology

2
New School University crest
The New School
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
544 Design Degrees Awarded
$44,195 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in design & applied arts has to check out The New School. New School University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #208 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means New School University is a great school overall.

There were about 544 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at New School University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts program at The New School get $13,742 above the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from The New School

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
618 Design Degrees Awarded
8.7% Growth in Graduates

Pratt Institute - Main is a great option for students interested in a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of Brooklyn, Pratt Institute is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

There were approximately 618 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Pratt Institute in the most recent year we have data available. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Pratt Institute - Main get an earnings boost of approximately $13,524 over the average income of design & applied arts graduates.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Pratt Institute - Main

4
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
102 Design Degrees Awarded
$40,400 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts needs to look into Syracuse University. Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Syracuse. A Best Colleges rank of #132 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Syracuse is a great university overall.

There were roughly 102 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent year we have data available. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Syracuse University receive an earnings boost of about $9,947 above the average earnings of design & applied arts majors.

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

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
171 Design Degrees Awarded
$32,795 Median Starting Salary

RIT is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Rochester. A Best Colleges rank of #285 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means RIT is a great school overall.

There were about 171 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at RIT in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts major at Rochester Institute of Technology make $2,342 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Rochester Institute of Technology

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
220 Design Degrees Awarded
$35,089 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of New York, SVA is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

There were about 220 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at SVA in the most recent year we have data available. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from School of Visual Arts get an earnings boost of about $4,635 over the typical earnings of design & applied arts graduates.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from School of Visual Arts

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$46,471 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

RPI is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Troy. A Best Colleges rank of #106 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means RPI is a great school overall.

There were roughly 29 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at RPI in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute get $16,018 above the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

8
Marist crest
Marist College
Poughkeepsie, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$38,263 Median Starting Salary
$26,359 Median Student Debt

Located in the large suburb of Poughkeepsie, Marist is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #382 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Marist is a great college overall.

There were roughly 29 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Marist in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at Marist College get $7,810 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Marist College

9
LaGuardia crest
LaGuardia Community College
Long Island City, NY
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Design Degrees Awarded
$27,204 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Long Island City, LaGuardia is a public college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #712 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means LaGuardia is a great college overall.

There were roughly 43 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at LaGuardia in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design degree recipients typically earn about $27,204 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from LaGuardia Community College

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
178 Design Degrees Awarded
$30,519 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Brooklyn, City Tech is a public college with a large student population. This college ranks 66th out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 178 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at City Tech in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, design degree recipients usually make about $30,519 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from New York City College of Technology

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 334 1,234
Maryland 279 617
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
Fashion Design 1,041
Illustration 627
Interior Design 616
Graphic Design 600
Visual Communications 485
Commercial & Advertising Art 468
Industrial Design 301
Commercial Photography 142
Other Design & Applied Arts 104
Game & Interactive Media Design 68

View All Design Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Design

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 3,405
Drama & Theater Arts 2,842
Music 2,351
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 2,006
Arts & Media Management 688
General Visual & Performing Arts 610
Dance 372
Other Visual Art 344

View All Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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