2027 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Missouri
Design & Applied Arts is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 16 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 Missouri
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall design & applied arts education in Missouri.
Top Schools in Design & Applied Arts
No school ranked higher than Washington University In St Louis this year for design & applied arts. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the suburb of St. Louis. Washington University In St Louis graduates 94% of students within six years. Washington University In St Louis awarded about 80 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $33,615 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $19,089 to complete this degree.
See the full design & applied arts program report for Washington University In St Louis
University Of Missouri Columbia came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best design & applied arts schools. This very large public university is located in the city of Columbia. About 75% of students finish within six years. University Of Missouri Columbia awarded about 15 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from University Of Missouri Columbia earn around $53,134 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $21,818 to complete this degree.
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Students looking for a strong design & applied arts program will find one at Maryville University Of Saint Louis, which ranked #3. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the suburb of Saint Louis. Maryville University Of Saint Louis graduates 66% of students within six years. Maryville University Of Saint Louis awarded about 45 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from Maryville University Of Saint Louis earn around $39,623 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $24,621 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Maryville University Of Saint Louis
Students looking for a strong design & applied arts program will find one at Park University, which ranked #4. This moderately-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the suburb of Parkville. Roughly 37% of students complete a degree within six years here. Park University awarded about 20 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $46,340 in their early career. Park University graduates carry a median of $20,750 in student loans.
Read more about the design & applied arts program at Park University
University Of Central Missouri is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in design & applied arts, ranking #5. Located in the town of Warrensburg, University Of Central Missouri is a large public university. About 54% of students finish within six years. University Of Central Missouri awarded about 40 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from University Of Central Missouri generally make around $33,921. University Of Central Missouri graduates carry a median of $25,576 in student loans.
See the full design & applied arts program report for University Of Central Missouri
University Of Missouri Kansas City ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best design & applied arts schools. This large public university is located in the city of Kansas City. The six-year graduation rate is 54%. About 17 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at University Of Missouri Kansas City in the most recent year. Design & Applied Arts graduates of University Of Missouri Kansas City earn a median of $60,324 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $23,741 to complete this degree.
See the full design & applied arts program report for University Of Missouri Kansas City
Missouri State University Springfield placed #7 among the best design & applied arts schools. Set in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 58%. Missouri State University Springfield awarded about 42 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Missouri State University Springfield earn a median of $33,695 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $26,477.
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Lindenwood University placed #8 among the best design & applied arts schools. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Saint Charles. The six-year graduation rate is 49%. Lindenwood University awarded about 38 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from Lindenwood University earn around $48,197 in the first couple years of their career. Lindenwood University graduates carry a median of $28,663 in student loans.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Lindenwood University
Saint Louis Community College came in at #9 for design & applied arts this year. Located in the suburb of Bridgeton, Saint Louis Community College is a very large public university. About 57 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Saint Louis Community College in the most recent year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from Saint Louis Community College earn around $25,929 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $11,424.
See the full design & applied arts program report for Saint Louis Community College
Southeast Missouri State University placed #10 among the best design & applied arts schools. Southeast Missouri State University is a large public school located in the city of Cape Girardeau. About 58% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 11 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Southeast Missouri State University in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Southeast Missouri State University earn a median of $43,255 early in their careers. Southeast Missouri State University graduates carry a median of $23,289 in student loans.
Read more about the design & applied arts program at Southeast Missouri State University
St Charles Community College ranked #11 on our 2027 list of the best design & applied arts schools. This moderately-sized public university is located in the suburb of Cottleville. St Charles Community College awarded about 33 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from St Charles Community College generally make around $47,228. Students borrow a median of $12,606 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from St Charles Community College
Metropolitan Community College Kansas City landed the #12 spot for design & applied arts this year. Set in the city of Kansas City, Metropolitan Community College Kansas City is a large public institution. There were roughly 24 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Metropolitan Community College Kansas City in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Metropolitan Community College Kansas City generally make around $46,660. Typical student debt for the program is $12,281.
Read more about the design & applied arts program at Metropolitan Community College Kansas City
Kansas City Art Institute came in at #13 for design & applied arts this year. This small private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Kansas City. Roughly 58% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 47 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Kansas City Art Institute in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Kansas City Art Institute generally make around $29,513. Kansas City Art Institute graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
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Webster University placed #14 among the best design & applied arts schools. This moderately-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the suburb of Saint Louis. About 64% of students finish within six years. About 35 design & applied arts degrees were awarded at Webster University in the most recent year. Graduates of the design & applied arts program make about $20,257 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,550.
Read more about the design & applied arts program at Webster University
Drury University came in at #15 for design & applied arts this year. Located in the city of Springfield, Drury University is a small private not-for-profit university. Roughly 62% of students complete a degree within six years here. Drury University awarded about 14 design & applied arts degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their design & applied arts degree from Drury University earn around $37,267 in the first couple years of their career. Drury University graduates carry a median of $26,641 in student loans.
Read more about the design & applied arts program at Drury University
Stevens Institute Of Business And Arts ranked #16 on our 2027 list of the best design & applied arts schools. This small private for-profit university is located in the city of Saint Louis. The six-year graduation rate is 50%. There were roughly 17 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Stevens Institute Of Business And Arts in the most recent data year.
Get the full design & applied arts details for Stevens Institute Of Business And Arts
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 16 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.
