2026 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia
Design & Applied Arts programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 23 schools to find the best for design & applied arts students.
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Best Schools for Design & Applied Arts in Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall design & applied arts education in Virginia.
Top Schools in Design & Applied Arts
Leading the list is Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, our #1 school for design & applied arts. Set in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public institution. Roughly 86% of students complete a degree within six years here. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University awarded about 78 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earn around $46,761 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,802.
See the full design & applied arts program report for Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University
A rank of #2 makes Virginia Commonwealth University one of the top schools for design & applied arts. This very large public university is located in the city of Richmond. Virginia Commonwealth University graduates 63% of students within six years. Virginia Commonwealth University awarded about 365 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Virginia Commonwealth University generally make around $36,156. Typical student debt for the program is $25,937.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Virginia Commonwealth University
Northern Virginia Community College is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in design & applied arts, ranking #3. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Annandale. Northern Virginia Community College awarded about 63 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $33,232 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $18,250.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Northern Virginia Community College
Marymount University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in design & applied arts, ranking #4. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Arlington. Roughly 54% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 24 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Marymount University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from Marymount University earn around $44,175 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Marymount University
Liberty University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts, landing the #5 spot this year. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Lynchburg. About 67% of students finish within six years. About 292 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Liberty University in the most recent year. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Liberty University earn a median of $40,295 early in their careers. Liberty University graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans.
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Radford University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. Set in the town of Radford, Radford University is a moderately-sized public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 49%. About 23 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Radford University in the most recent year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $34,096 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
Get the full design & applied arts details for Radford University
Virginia Western Community College ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. Set in the city of Roanoke, Virginia Western Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. There were roughly 15 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Western Community College in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $31,440 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $13,715.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Virginia Western Community College
Tidewater Community College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. This very large public university is located in the city of Norfolk. About 80 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Tidewater Community College in the most recent year. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Tidewater Community College earn a median of $22,935 early in their careers. Tidewater Community College graduates carry a median of $10,195 in student loans.
Read more about the design & applied arts program at Tidewater Community College
Germanna Community College landed the #9 spot for design & applied arts this year. Germanna Community College is a large public school located in the rural area of Locust Grove. About 14 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Germanna Community College in the most recent year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $41,880 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $10,999.
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Regent University placed #10 among the best design & applied arts schools. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Virginia Beach. Regent University graduates 58% of students within six years. Regent University awarded about 11 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $50,406 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $29,451.
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Danville Community College ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. Set in the town of Danville, Danville Community College is a mid-sized public institution. About 17 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Danville Community College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Danville Community College generally make around $44,922. Danville Community College graduates carry a median of $9,494 in student loans.
See the full design & applied arts program report for Danville Community College
Thomas Nelson Community College placed #12 among the best design & applied arts schools. Thomas Nelson Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Hampton. There were roughly 15 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Thomas Nelson Community College in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $36,758 in their early career. Thomas Nelson Community College graduates carry a median of $14,402 in student loans.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Thomas Nelson Community 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. 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 · 23 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.
