2027 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Tennessee
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.
College Factual analyzed 14 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best design & applied arts schools.
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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
Tennessee Technological University tops our 2027 ranking of the best design & applied arts schools. This large public university is located in the town of Cookeville. About 58% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 28 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Tennessee Technological University in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Tennessee Technological University earn a median of $46,981 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $17,580.
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Students looking for a strong design & applied arts program will find one at The University Of Tennessee, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 74%. There were roughly 15 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at The University Of Tennessee in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $36,061 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $22,859.
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Belmont University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Belmont University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. About 70% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 64 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.
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Students looking for a strong design & applied arts program will find one at Lipscomb University, which ranked #4. Lipscomb University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. The six-year graduation rate is 72%. About 19 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Lipscomb University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Lipscomb University generally make around $48,949. Typical student debt for the program is $23,529.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Lipscomb University
A rank of #5 makes Freed Hardeman University one of the top schools for design & applied arts. Located in the town of Henderson, Freed Hardeman University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 69%. About 14 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Freed Hardeman University in the most recent year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from Freed Hardeman University earn around $54,530 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,479.
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East Tennessee State University earned the #6 position for design & applied arts this year. Located in the city of Johnson City, East Tennessee State University is a large public university. East Tennessee State University graduates 53% of students within six years. There were roughly 34 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. Typical student debt for the program is $19,250.
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Middle Tennessee State University came in at #7 for design & applied arts this year. Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public school located in the city of Murfreesboro. Roughly 54% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 13 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Middle Tennessee State University in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Middle Tennessee State University earn a median of $38,807 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $22,754 to complete this degree.
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Maryville College placed #8 among the best design & applied arts schools. Set in the suburb of Maryville, Maryville College is a small private not-for-profit institution. About 50% of students finish within six years. About 10 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Maryville College in the most recent year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $42,971 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $26,428 to complete this degree.
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Chattanooga State Community College came in at #9 for design & applied arts this year. Set in the city of Chattanooga, Chattanooga State Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Chattanooga State Community College awarded about 43 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Chattanooga State Community College generally make around $20,165. Students borrow a median of $11,681 to complete this degree.
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Pellissippi State Community College placed #10 among the best design & applied arts schools. Pellissippi State Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Knoxville. About 30 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Pellissippi State Community College in the most recent year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from Pellissippi State Community College earn around $43,816 in the first couple years of their career. Pellissippi State Community College graduates carry a median of $8,951 in student loans.
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Southwest Tennessee Community College earned the #11 position for design & applied arts this year. Located in the city of Memphis, Southwest Tennessee Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Southwest Tennessee Community College awarded about 17 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $43,592 in their early career. Southwest Tennessee Community College graduates carry a median of $11,406 in student loans.
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Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Murfreesboro placed #12 among the best design & applied arts schools. Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Murfreesboro is a small public school located in the city of Murfreesboro. There were roughly 11 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Murfreesboro in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Murfreesboro generally make around $37,744. Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Murfreesboro graduates carry a median of $10,723 in student loans.
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Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Memphis came in at #13 for design & applied arts this year. This mid-sized public university is located in the city of Memphis. Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Memphis awarded about 13 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Tennessee College Of Applied Technology Memphis generally make around $28,814. Students borrow a median of $12,073 to complete this degree.
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Nossi College Of Art placed #14 among the best design & applied arts schools. This small private for-profit university is located in the city of Nashville. Roughly 42% of students complete a degree within six years here. Nossi College Of Art awarded about 54 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $24,497 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $46,500.
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More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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.
