2026 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Kentucky
Design & Applied Arts is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their design & applied arts programs.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 14 schools to find the best for design & applied arts students.
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Best Schools for Design & Applied Arts in Kentucky
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the design & applied arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Design & Applied Arts
Our analysis ranked University Of Kentucky the best school in the country for a degree in design & applied arts. University Of Kentucky is a very large public school located in the city of Lexington. About 71% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 43 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at University Of Kentucky in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $42,168 in their early career. University Of Kentucky graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
Get the full design & applied arts details for University Of Kentucky
Western Kentucky University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. This large public university is located in the city of Bowling Green. Western Kentucky University graduates 58% of students within six years. About 21 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Western Kentucky University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Western Kentucky University generally make around $44,778. Students borrow a median of $24,499 to complete this degree.
Read more about the design & applied arts program at Western Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Highland Heights, Northern Kentucky University is a large public university. Northern Kentucky University graduates 54% of students within six years. About 12 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Northern Kentucky University in the most recent year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $52,565 in their early career. Northern Kentucky University graduates carry a median of $25,572 in student loans.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Northern Kentucky University
Kentucky Wesleyan College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. Kentucky Wesleyan College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Owensboro. Kentucky Wesleyan College graduates 46% of students within six years. There were roughly 11 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Kentucky Wesleyan College in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $32,568 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $25,333 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Kentucky Wesleyan College
Hazard Community And Technical College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. Hazard Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Hazard. About 17 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Hazard Community And Technical College in the most recent year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $32,626 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $12,212.
Get the full design & applied arts details for Hazard Community And Technical College
Big Sandy Community And Technical College earned the #6 position for design & applied arts this year. Located in the town of Prestonsburg, Big Sandy Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public university. About 30 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Big Sandy Community And Technical College in the most recent year. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Big Sandy Community And Technical College earn a median of $33,956 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $11,588.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Big Sandy Community And Technical 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 · 14 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.
