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2024 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia

10 Colleges in Virginia
988 Design Degrees Awarded
$31,842 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.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for design & applied arts students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 988 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 Virginia 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

The design school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia. 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 Virginia

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 Virginia Schools in Design

1
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Design Degrees Awarded
3.2% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Virginia Tech if you want to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 62 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Virginia Tech get an earnings boost of about $17,576 above the typical income of design & applied arts graduates.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Virginia Tech

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
315 Design Degrees Awarded
7.9% Growth in Graduates

Virginia Commonwealth University is a great option for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the midsize city of Richmond, VCU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #240 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 315 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the design program report average early career income of $29,473.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Virginia Commonwealth University

3
Marymount crest
Marymount University
Arlington, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Design Degrees Awarded
$40,385 Median Starting Salary

Marymount University is a good option for students interested in a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the medium-sized city of Arlington, Marymount is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 16th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 60 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Marymount in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts major at Marymount University make $8,543 more than the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

4
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
236 Design Degrees Awarded
12.3% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat Liberty University if you wish to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the small city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #352 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Liberty University is a great university overall.

There were about 236 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, design degree recipients typically make around $32,506 in their early careers.

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

5
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In VA
68 Design Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 13th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 68 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Northern Virginia Community College in the most recent year we have data available.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
14th Most Popular In VA

GMU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Fairfax. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from George Mason University

7
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 Design Degrees Awarded
16.7% Growth in Graduates

Radford is a moderately-sized public university located in the suburb of Radford. This university ranks 23rd out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 36 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Radford in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the design program state that they receive average early career income of $33,128.

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

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
76 Design Degrees Awarded
2.6% Growth in Graduates

Tidewater Community College is a large public college located in the city of Norfolk. This college ranks 31st out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 76 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Tidewater Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the design program make about $22,526 for their early career.

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

9
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In VA

Regent is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Virginia Beach. This university ranks 20th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 4 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Regent in the most recent data year.

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

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$23,649 Median Starting Salary
$42,822 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Virginia Beach, Ai Virginia Beach is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

There were approximately 9 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Ai Virginia Beach in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the design program state that they receive average early career wages of $23,649.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from The Art Institute of Virginia Beach

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 1,446
Florida 282 1,127
North Carolina 279 944
Tennessee 269 296
South Carolina 248 316
Kentucky 244 84
Louisiana 242 84
Mississippi 234 81
Arkansas 234 228
Alabama 233 246
West Virginia 207 114

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 330
Interior Design 215
Graphic Design 190
Illustration 111
Fashion Design 67
Other Design & Applied Arts 43
Industrial Design 28
Commercial Photography 4

View All Design Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Design

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 769
Music 632
Drama & Theater Arts 455
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 278
General Visual & Performing Arts 267
Other Visual Art 109
Dance 69
Arts & Media Management 37
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 26

View All Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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