by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 23 schools in New York to determine which ones were the best for design & applied arts students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 2,669 bachelor's degrees in design & applied arts to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts
Translate your creative ideas through concept, design and digital media with a bachelor's in graphic design online from Southern New Hampshire University.
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.
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.
Your choice of design & applied arts for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality design program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for design & applied arts students working on their bachelor's degree.
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in New York list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts
Translate your creative ideas through concept, design and digital media with a bachelor's in graphic design online from Southern New Hampshire University.
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.
Get on the right path to the fast-paced, exciting world of video game art and design with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts.
Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts has to take a look at Fashion Institute of Technology. FIT SUNY is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of New York.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the design program earn about $27,023 in their early career salary.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Fashion Institute of Technology
Syracuse University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the midsize city of Syracuse, Syracuse is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.
Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Syracuse University receive $16,043 more than the standard design student.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Syracuse University
Pratt Institute - Main is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Pratt Institute is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Brooklyn.
Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts program at Pratt Institute - Main make $5,902 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Pratt Institute - Main
It is difficult to beat The New School if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of New York, New School University is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the design program state that they receive average early career wages of $24,804.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from The New School
Located in the suburb of Rochester, RIT is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Rochester Institute of Technology make $4,571 more than the typical design student.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Rochester Institute of Technology
SVA is a small private for-profit school located in the city of New York.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the design program state that they receive average early career income of $15,985.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from School of Visual Arts
Marist is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the design program earn an average of $28,336 for their early career.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Marist College
Located in the city of Troy, RPI is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute get $6,053 above the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
LIM is a small private for-profit college located in the large city of New York.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the design program earn about $31,885 in their early career salary.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from LIM College
SUNY Oneonta is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Oneonta.More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from SUNY Oneonta
Learn about other programs related to Design & Applied Arts that might interest you.
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts - Web Design
Gain a solid grounding in your online web design classes and exercise your creative muscle with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
BS in Game Programming & Development
Go beyond traditional software development to gain the technical expertise required to succeed in an exciting and competitive field with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 274 | 991 |
| Maryland | 207 | 232 |
| New Jersey | 193 | 358 |
| Delaware | 130 | 25 |
| District of Columbia | 126 | 39 |
One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Design & Applied Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fashion Design | 629 |
| Illustration | 555 |
| Graphic Design | 357 |
| Industrial Design | 257 |
| Interior Design | 248 |
| Other Design & Applied Arts | 233 |
| Visual Communications | 184 |
| Commercial & Advertising Art | 108 |
| Game & Interactive Media Design | 54 |
| Commercial Photography | 44 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 1,974 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 1,906 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 1,765 |
| Music | 1,143 |
| Arts & Media Management | 470 |
| Dance | 361 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 213 |
| Other Visual Art | 201 |
