2024 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools
407
Colleges in the United States
36,323
Design Degrees Awarded
$32,210
Avg Early-Career Salary
Design & Applied Arts is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #36 most popular major in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
College Factual reviewed 407 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of design & applied arts. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 36,323 degrees in design & applied arts during the 2021-2022 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School
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. We derive our Best Overall Design & Applied Arts School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
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
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Design & Applied Arts Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
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Featured Design & Applied Arts Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
AA in Digital Photography
Take the first step toward a career of visual expression and doing what you love with this online associate degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
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BA in Digital Photography
Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
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Best Schools for Design & Applied Arts in the United States
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the design degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
25 Top Schools in Design
Any student who is interested in design & applied arts has to check out University of Notre Dame. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.
There were roughly 29 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from University of Notre Dame make $22,340 more than the average design graduate.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Notre DameWashington University in St Louis is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.
There were roughly 74 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at Washington University in St Louis make $9,367 above the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Washington University in St LouisCarnegie Mellon University is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.
There were approximately 46 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts major at Carnegie Mellon University get $55,189 more than the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Carnegie Mellon UniversityIt is difficult to beat The University of Texas at Austin if you want to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.
There were approximately 111 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from The University of Texas at Austin receive $20,925 more than the average design student.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from The University of Texas at AustinLocated in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.
There were roughly 247 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Iowa State University earn a boost of approximately $4,855 over the typical income of design & applied arts graduates.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Iowa State UniversityLocated in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.
There were approximately 15 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of PennsylvaniaUC is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Cincinnati. This university ranks 5th out of 96 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.
There were about 227 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus make $17,938 above the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Cincinnati - Main CampusFIDM Los Angeles is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
There were approximately 274 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at FIDM Los Angeles in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the design program make about $27,983 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los AngelesUSC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were about 84 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. After graduating, design degree recipients generally make an average of $29,631 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Southern CaliforniaLocated in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.
There were roughly 141 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts program at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities earn $8,397 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Minnesota - Twin CitiesLocated in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.
There were approximately 100 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive $12,143 more than the typical design graduate.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignLocated in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 13th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 244 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at University of California - Davis get $5,830 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of California - DavisLocated in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.
There were approximately 38 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from University of Washington - Seattle Campus earn $17,284 more than the standard design graduate.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Washington - Seattle CampusLocated in the large city of New York, FIT SUNY is a public school with a moderately-sized student population. This school ranks 7th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were about 1313 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at FIT SUNY in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, design degree recipients generally make about $29,209 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Fashion Institute of TechnologyLocated in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were roughly 47 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at University of California - Los Angeles earn $7,271 above the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of California - Los AngelesNew School University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York. This school ranks 15th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were about 668 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at New School University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at The New School make $11,986 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from The New SchoolLocated in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were roughly 110 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from Michigan State University receive $5,096 more than the average design graduate.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Michigan State UniversityLocated in the city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.
There were about 52 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent year we have data available. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from Texas Christian University receive $14,491 more than the typical design graduate.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Texas Christian UniversityLocated in the city of Brooklyn, Pratt Institute is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
There were about 413 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Pratt Institute in the most recent year we have data available. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Pratt Institute - Main earn a boost of about $11,767 above the typical income of design & applied arts majors.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Pratt Institute - MainLocated in the midsize city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 77 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.
There were roughly 85 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent year we have data available. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from University of Florida receive an earnings boost of approximately $11,057 over the typical income of design & applied arts majors.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of FloridaLocated in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population. This school ranks 2nd out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were approximately 71 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts program at Virginia Tech earn $17,208 more than the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Virginia TechLocated in the large city of Baltimore, MICA is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
There were roughly 314 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at MICA in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Maryland Institute College of Art receive an earnings boost of about $4,942 above the average income of design & applied arts graduates.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Maryland Institute College of ArtLocated in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.
There were about 92 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts major at University of Wisconsin - Madison make $11,474 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Wisconsin - MadisonLocated in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #24 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Georgia Tech is a great school overall.
There were roughly 83 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Georgia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus get an earnings boost of approximately $15,989 above the average earnings of design & applied arts graduates.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main CampusPurdue is a fairly large public university located in the city of West Lafayette. This university ranks 2nd out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.
There were about 65 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from Purdue University - Main Campus earn $9,995 more than the average design graduate.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Purdue University - Main Campus