2026 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Kansas
Design & Applied Arts programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their design & applied arts programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 20 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 Kansas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall design & applied arts education in Kansas.
Top Schools in Design & Applied Arts
Kansas State University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in design & applied arts. Set in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a very large public institution. Kansas State University graduates 71% of students within six years. Kansas State University awarded about 12 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from Kansas State University earn around $43,992 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $23,546 to complete this degree.
Read more about the design & applied arts program at Kansas State University
University Of Kansas came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. Located in the city of Lawrence, University Of Kansas is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 69%. About 71 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at University Of Kansas in the most recent year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $37,508 in their early career. University Of Kansas graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans.
Get the full design & applied arts details for University Of Kansas
Students looking for a strong design & applied arts program will find one at Johnson County Community College, which ranked #3. Johnson County Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Overland Park. About 123 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Johnson County Community College in the most recent year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $32,030 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $13,625.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Johnson County Community College
Students looking for a strong design & applied arts program will find one at Wichita State University, which ranked #4. Wichita State University is a large public school located in the city of Wichita. The six-year graduation rate is 51%. Wichita State University awarded about 25 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Wichita State University generally make around $33,590. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete this degree.
See the full design & applied arts program report for Wichita State University
Washburn Institute Of Technology came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best design & applied arts schools. This small public university is located in the city of Topeka. Washburn Institute Of Technology awarded about 16 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $39,749 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $11,362.
Get the full design & applied arts details for Washburn Institute Of Technology
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 20 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.
