2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region
If you pursue a associate degree in
design & applied arts, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #19 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools in the Southwest Region to determine which ones were the best for design & applied arts students pursuing a associate degree. Combined, these schools handed out 814 associate degrees in design & applied arts to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our 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.
Learn More
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.
Learn More
Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School for Your Associate Degree
Your choice of design & applied arts for getting your associate degree school matters. 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
The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. 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
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their associate degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their associate 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:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on design & applied arts students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - How many other design & applied arts students want to attend this school to pursue a associate degree.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for design & applied arts to pay back their student loans after receiving their associate degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized design & applied arts related body.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for design & applied arts students working on their associate degree.
More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools
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 Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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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.
Learn More
Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Design & Applied Arts in the Southwest Region
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in design & applied arts.
10 Top Southwest Region Schools for an Associate in Design
Collin County Community College District is a great choice for individuals pursuing an associate degree in design & applied arts. Collin County Community College District is a very large public college located in the suburb of McKinney.
Those design & applied arts students who get their associate degree from Collin County Community College District earn $5,532 more than the standard design graduate.
More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Collin County Community College District
El Centro College is a wonderful option for individuals interested in an associate degree in design & applied arts. El Centro College is a fairly large public college located in the city of Dallas.
Those design & applied arts students who get their associate degree from El Centro College make $3,554 more than the average design student.
More information about a associate in design & applied arts from El Centro College
Austin Community College District is one of the finest schools in the country for getting an associate degree in design & applied arts. Austin Community College District is a very large public college located in the large city of Austin.
Design & Applied Arts associate degree recipients from Austin Community College District get an earnings boost of about $12,365 above the average income of design & applied arts graduates.
More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Austin Community College District
Scottsdale Community College is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing an associate degree in design & applied arts. Located in the rural area of Scottsdale, Scottsdale Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Those design & applied arts students who get their associate degree from Scottsdale Community College earn $10,752 more than the standard design student.
More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Scottsdale Community College
San Jacinto College is a very large public college located in the medium-sized city of Pasadena.More information about a associate in design & applied arts from San Jacinto Community College
