by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 13 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in Massachusetts ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 644 bachelor's degrees in design & applied arts during the 2022-2023 academic year.
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. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
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 consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
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 colleges for design & applied arts students working on their bachelor's degree.
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 Massachusetts list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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.
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.
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for design & applied arts students seeking a a bachelor's degree.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a great option for students interested in a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a small public college located in the city of Boston.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the design program make an average of $24,706 for their early career.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Northeastern University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Northeastern University earn a boost of approximately $14,654 above the typical income of design & applied arts graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Northeastern University
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts needs to check out Boston University. Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at Boston University make $14,181 more than the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Boston University
It's difficult to beat Wentworth Institute of Technology if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. WIT is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Boston.
Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Wentworth Institute of Technology get an earnings boost of around $15,526 above the typical income of design & applied arts graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Wentworth Institute of Technology
Located in the suburb of Beverly, Endicott is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at Endicott College earn $4,198 more than the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Endicott College
Located in the medium-sized suburb of North Dartmouth, UMass Dartmouth is a public university with a medium-sized student population.
Soon after graduation, design bachelor's recipients typically earn about $29,660 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth
Lesley is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Cambridge.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the design program state that they receive average early career income of $25,227.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Lesley University
Located in the city of Boston, Suffolk is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.
Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Suffolk University receive an earnings boost of approximately $12,342 above the average earnings of design & applied arts majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Suffolk University
UMass Lowell is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Lowell.
Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Massachusetts - Lowell receive $5,947 more than the standard design grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Massachusetts - Lowell
Montserrat College of Art is a fairly small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Beverly.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the design program earn an average of $19,865 for their early career.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Montserrat College of ArtLearn 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 New England Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 183 | 140 |
| New Hampshire | 157 | 442 |
| Rhode Island | 157 | 108 |
| Maine | 156 | 24 |
| Vermont | 155 | 63 |
One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Design & Applied Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Graphic Design | 260 |
| Illustration | 151 |
| Game & Interactive Media Design | 54 |
| Industrial Design | 52 |
| Fashion Design | 41 |
| Interior Design | 35 |
| Other Design & Applied Arts | 29 |
| Commercial & Advertising Art | 16 |
| Visual Communications | 6 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Music | 1,058 |
| Fine & Studio Arts | 751 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 609 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 438 |
| Arts & Media Management | 188 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 121 |
| Dance | 104 |
| Other Visual Art | 29 |
| Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry | 4 |
