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2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region

5 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
197 Master's Degrees
$38,290 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your master's degree in design & applied arts, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #72 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual looked at 5 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 197 master's degrees in design & applied arts during the 2021-2022 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School for Your Master's Degree

Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region The design master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality design program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a master'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 for a Master's Degree 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.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for design & applied arts students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Design & Applied Arts in the Great Lakes Region

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for design & applied arts students seeking a a master's degree.

Top Great Lakes Region Schools for a Master's in Design

1
12 Annual Graduates

College for Creative Studies is a great decision for students pursuing a master's degree in design & applied arts. CCS is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Detroit.More information about a master’s in design & applied arts from College for Creative Studies

2
21 Annual Graduates

Kent State University at Kent is a wonderful choice for individuals pursuing a master's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in design & applied arts from Kent State University at Kent

3
21 Annual Graduates

University of Illinois at Chicago is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in design & applied arts from University of Illinois at Chicago

4
28 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat Bowling Green State University - Main Campus if you want to pursue a master's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the fringe town of Bowling Green, BGSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in design & applied arts from Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

5
20 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.More information about a master’s in design & applied arts from School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best design & applied arts schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Illinois 221 72
Michigan 211 34
Ohio 207 90
Indiana 191 16
Wisconsin 173 3

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Design & Applied Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Design Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Visual Communications 52
Other Design & Applied Arts 50
Graphic Design 27
Commercial & Advertising Art 17
Fashion Design 13
Game & Interactive Media Design 12
Commercial Photography 10
Industrial Design 8
Interior Design 8

Related Major Annual Graduates
Music 1,004
Fine & Studio Arts 479
Arts & Media Management 236
Drama & Theater Arts 199
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 93
General Visual & Performing Arts 27
Dance 22

Notes and References

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