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2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Washington

11 Colleges in Washington
651 Design Degrees Awarded
$32,983 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #36 in popularity, design & applied arts is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 11 schools in Washington to determine which ones were the best for design & applied arts students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 651 degrees in design & applied arts to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School

Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Washington 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. For our Best Overall Design & Applied Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

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

Associate Degrees in Design
Bachelor's Degrees in Design
Master's Degrees in Design

The design school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Washington. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Design & Applied Arts in Washington

The schools below may not offer all types of design degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Washington Schools in Design

1
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Design Degrees Awarded
$63,449 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts has to look into University of Washington - Seattle Campus. Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #44 out of 2,152 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 year we have data available. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from University of Washington - Seattle Campus earn $30,466 more than the average design student.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
66 Design Degrees Awarded
$31,078 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts needs to take a look at Western Washington University. WWU is a large public university located in the city of Bellingham. A Best Colleges rank of #287 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means WWU is a great university overall.

There were about 66 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at WWU in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the design program make an average of $31,078 for their early career.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Western Washington University

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Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts Program Name

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More information about a degree in BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
35 Design Degrees Awarded
14.3% Growth in Graduates

Seattle Pacific University is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts. SPU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Seattle. This university ranks 12th out of 50 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were roughly 35 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at SPU in the most recent year we have data available. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from Seattle Pacific University make $6,265 more than the standard design grad.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Seattle Pacific University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
45 Design Degrees Awarded
20.0% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts needs to take a look at Washington State University. Located in the distant town of Pullman, Wazzu is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #182 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Wazzu is a great university overall.

There were approximately 45 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Wazzu in the most recent data year. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from Washington State University earn $11,840 more than the typical design graduate.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Washington State University

5
Seattle U crest
Seattle University
Seattle, WA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In WA

Seattle U is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Seattle. A Best Colleges rank of #155 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Seattle U is a great university overall.

There were approximately 23 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Seattle U in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Seattle University

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
16th Most Popular In WA
48 Design Degrees Awarded

Shoreline Community College is a small public college located in the suburb of Shoreline. This college ranks 23rd out of 50 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were roughly 48 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Shoreline Community College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Shoreline Community College

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In WA
24.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Ellensburg, CWU is a public university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #339 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means CWU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 25 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at CWU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Central Washington University

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Associates Degree Type
AA in Digital Photography Program Name

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.

More information about a degree in AA in Digital Photography from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Design Degrees Awarded
4.2% Growth in Graduates

Seattle Central is a moderately-sized public college located in the city of Seattle. This college ranks 15th out of 50 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were about 48 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Seattle Central in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, design degree recipients usually make about $29,775 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Seattle Central College

9
BC crest
Bellevue College
Bellevue, WA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
69 Design Degrees Awarded
$45,947 Median Starting Salary

BC is a fairly large public college located in the medium-sized city of Bellevue. This college ranks 11th out of 50 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were about 69 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at BC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts major at Bellevue College make $12,964 more than the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Bellevue College

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Design Degrees Awarded
11.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Spokane, Spokane Falls Community College is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 41st out of 50 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were roughly 42 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Spokane Falls Community College in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the design program report average early career income of $21,508.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Spokane Falls Community College

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
California 330 3,770
Oregon 266 490
Nevada 192 110
Hawaii 164 19

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
Visual Communications 264
Interior Design 153
Commercial & Advertising Art 67
Graphic Design 58
Industrial Design 40
Fashion Design 37
Game & Interactive Media Design 16
Illustration 13
Commercial Photography 3

View All Design Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Design

Related Major Annual Graduates
Music 387
Fine & Studio Arts 373
Drama & Theater Arts 191
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 177
Dance 44
Arts & Media Management 32
Other Visual Art 14
General Visual & Performing Arts 8

View All Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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