2026 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Tennessee
Design & Applied Arts degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their design & applied arts programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 27 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for design & applied arts students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Design & Applied Arts in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall design & applied arts education in Tennessee.
Top Schools in Design & Applied Arts
Leading the list is The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga, our #1 school for design & applied arts. The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public school located in the city of Chattanooga. About 50% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 19 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga in the most recent data year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga earn around $41,968 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,000.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga
The University Of Tennessee came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. The University Of Tennessee is a very large public school located in the city of Knoxville. The University Of Tennessee graduates 74% of students within six years. The University Of Tennessee awarded about 21 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from The University Of Tennessee earn around $36,061 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $22,859 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from The University Of Tennessee
Tennessee Technological University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. Set in the town of Cookeville, Tennessee Technological University is a large public institution. About 58% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 13 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Tennessee Technological University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $46,981 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $17,580 to complete this degree.
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East Tennessee State University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in design & applied arts, ranking #4. This large public university is located in the city of Johnson City. Roughly 53% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 29 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at East Tennessee State University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from East Tennessee State University generally make around $34,177. East Tennessee State University graduates carry a median of $19,250 in student loans.
See the full design & applied arts program report for East Tennessee State University
A rank of #5 makes Belmont University one of the top schools for design & applied arts. Located in the city of Nashville, Belmont University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 70%. There were roughly 57 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Belmont University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $28,702 in their early career. Belmont University graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
See the full design & applied arts program report for Belmont University
Middle Tennessee State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public school located in the city of Murfreesboro. The six-year graduation rate is 54%. There were roughly 11 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Middle Tennessee State University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from Middle Tennessee State University earn around $38,807 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $22,754 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Middle Tennessee State University
Lipscomb University landed the #7 spot for design & applied arts this year. Located in the city of Nashville, Lipscomb University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Roughly 72% of students complete a degree within six years here. Lipscomb University awarded about 12 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $48,949 in their early career. Lipscomb University graduates carry a median of $23,529 in student loans.
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Chattanooga State Community College earned the #8 position for design & applied arts this year. Located in the city of Chattanooga, Chattanooga State Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Chattanooga State Community College awarded about 26 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $20,165 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $11,681.
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Pellissippi State Community College came in at #9 for design & applied arts this year. This large public university is located in the suburb of Knoxville. About 16 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Pellissippi State Community College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Pellissippi State Community College generally make around $43,816. Pellissippi State Community College graduates carry a median of $8,951 in student loans.
See the full design & applied arts program report for Pellissippi State Community College
Southwest Tennessee Community College landed the #10 spot for design & applied arts this year. Located in the city of Memphis, Southwest Tennessee Community College is a moderately-sized public university. There were roughly 14 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Southwest Tennessee Community College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from Southwest Tennessee Community College earn around $43,592 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $11,406.
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Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Dickson landed the #11 spot for design & applied arts this year. This small public university is located in the rural area of Dickson. Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Dickson awarded about 11 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Dickson earn around $35,697 in the first couple years of their career. Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Dickson graduates carry a median of $11,000 in student loans.
Get the full design & applied arts details for Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Dickson
Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Morristown ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. Located in the city of Morristown, Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Morristown is a small public university. About 10 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Morristown in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Morristown generally make around $30,838. Students borrow a median of $8,000 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Morristown
Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Memphis landed the #13 spot for design & applied arts this year. Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Memphis is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Memphis. About 11 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Memphis in the most recent year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Memphis earn around $28,814 in the first couple years of their career. Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Memphis graduates carry a median of $12,073 in student loans.
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Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Crump ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. This mid-sized public university is located in the rural area of Crump. Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Crump awarded about 10 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Crump earn a median of $30,553 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $6,000 to complete this degree.
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Nossi College Of Art ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. Located in the city of Nashville, Nossi College Of Art is a small private for-profit university. Nossi College Of Art graduates 42% of students within six years. About 34 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Nossi College Of Art in the most recent year. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Nossi College Of Art earn a median of $24,497 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $46,500 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Nossi College Of Art
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 27 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.
