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2024 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

14 Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region
1,124 Design Degrees Awarded
$31,459 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 14 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of design & applied arts. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,124 degrees in design & applied arts during the 2020-2021 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School

Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region 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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 the Rocky Mountains Region

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 Rocky Mountains Region Schools in Design

1
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
95 Design Degrees Awarded
$39,924 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Brigham Young University - Provo if you want to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. BYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Provo. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means BYU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 95 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at BYU in the most recent year we have data available. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Brigham Young University - Provo get an earnings boost of around $8,465 above the average earnings of design & applied arts majors.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Brigham Young University - Provo

2
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT

University of Utah is a good choice for students interested in a degree in design & applied arts. U of U is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Salt Lake City. A Best Colleges rank of #151 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means U of U is a great university overall.

There were roughly 28 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at U of U in the most recent year we have data available. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from University of Utah receive $21,288 more than the typical design grad.

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

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
287 Design Degrees Awarded
33.1% Growth in Graduates

Utah Valley University is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the small city of Orem, UVU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #279 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UVU is a great university overall.

There were about 287 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UVU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts major at Utah Valley University earn $3,190 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In CO
31 Design Degrees Awarded

Any student who is interested in design & applied arts needs to look into University of Denver. Located in the large city of Denver, DU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #126 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means DU is a great university overall.

There were about 31 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at DU in the most recent year we have data available.

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

5
Salt Lake Community College crest
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake City, UT
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
66 Design Degrees Awarded
$27,755 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 8th out of 13 colleges for overall quality in the state of Utah.

There were about 66 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Salt Lake Community College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, design degree recipients generally make an average of $27,755 at the beginning of their careers.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
104 Design Degrees Awarded
8.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Boise, Boise State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #526 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Boise State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 104 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Boise State 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 $26,706.

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

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
117 Design Degrees Awarded
$27,370 Median Starting Salary

RMCAD is a small private for-profit college located in the medium-sized city of Lakewood.

There were approximately 117 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at RMCAD in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the design program make around $27,370 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Design Degrees Awarded
$34,159 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Littleton, Arapahoe Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 24th out of 33 schools for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were approximately 59 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Arapahoe Community College in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts major at Arapahoe Community College get $2,700 above the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

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

9
LDS Business College crest
LDS Business College
Salt Lake City, UT
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
35 Design Degrees Awarded
$28,139 Median Starting Salary

LDS Business College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the medium-sized city of Salt Lake City.

There were about 35 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at LDS Business College in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, design degree recipients typically make about $28,139 at the beginning of their careers.

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

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Design Degrees Awarded
21.6% Growth in Graduates

WSU is a very large public university located in the small city of Ogden. This university ranks 6th out of 13 colleges for overall quality in the state of Utah.

There were about 51 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at WSU in the most recent data year. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from Weber State University make $7,387 more than the typical design graduate.

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

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best design & applied arts colleges for a specific state in the Rocky Mountains Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Colorado 275 316
Utah 266 569
Idaho 219 125
Montana 188 25
Wyoming 162 22

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
Visual Communications 385
Interior Design 195
Graphic Design 189
Game & Interactive Media Design 120
Illustration 76
Industrial Design 71
Commercial & Advertising Art 33
Commercial Photography 30
Fashion Design 20
Other Design & Applied Arts 5

View All Design Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Design

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 1,218
Music 1,114
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 653
Drama & Theater Arts 607
Dance 209
General Visual & Performing Arts 127
Arts & Media Management 49
Other Visual Art 28

View All Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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