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2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in Wisconsin

7 Colleges in Wisconsin
422 Bachelor's Degrees
$36,625 Avg Early-Career Salary
Design & Applied Arts is of the hottest bachelor's degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #27 most popular major in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 7 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in Wisconsin ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 422 bachelor's degrees in design & applied arts to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

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

Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in Wisconsin The design bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Early-Career Earnings

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

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

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 bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

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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 Bachelor's Degree Schools in Wisconsin list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Design & Applied Arts in Wisconsin

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts.

Top Wisconsin Schools for a Bachelor's in Design

1
129 Annual Graduates
$28,801 Median Starting Salary
$51,000 Median Student Debt

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design is a good option for students interested in a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, MIAD is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Soon after graduating, design bachelor's recipients usually earn around $28,801 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design

2

Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts needs to take a look at University of Wisconsin - Madison. Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at University of Wisconsin - Madison earn $13,155 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Wisconsin - Madison

3

University of Wisconsin - Stout is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. UW - Stout is a medium-sized public university located in the distant town of Menomonie.

Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts program at University of Wisconsin - Stout earn $3,990 more than the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Wisconsin - Stout

4
Carthage crest
Carthage College
Kenosha, WI

Carthage College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Kenosha, Carthage is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the design program earn around $35,511 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Carthage College

5
25 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Milwaukee, UWM is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

6

Located in the distant town of Stevens Point, UW - Stevens Point is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts program at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point make $4,618 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

7

UW - Green Bay is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Green Bay.

After graduating, design bachelor's recipients generally earn around $32,991 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 261 703
Ohio 252 1,074
Illinois 241 768
Indiana 235 289

View All Rankings >

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

Design Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Graphic Design 134
Interior Design 91
Illustration 75
Visual Communications 43
Industrial Design 41
Game & Interactive Media Design 31
Fashion Design 4
Other Design & Applied Arts 3

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 495
Music 309
Drama & Theater Arts 210
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 163
General Visual & Performing Arts 71
Dance 35
Arts & Media Management 9
Other Visual Art 8

Notes and References

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