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2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in New York

29 Colleges in New York
4,369 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.

College Factual reviewed 29 schools in New York to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of design & applied arts. Combined, these schools handed out 4,369 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 New York 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

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in New York list to help you make the college decision. 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 New York

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 New York Schools in Design

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,313 Design Degrees Awarded
$23,920 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Fashion Institute of Technology if you wish to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of New York, FIT SUNY is a public school with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #32 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means FIT SUNY is a great school overall.

There were roughly 1313 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at FIT SUNY in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the design program earn an average of $23,920 for their early career.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Fashion Institute of Technology

2
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
115 Design Degrees Awarded
11.3% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts needs to check out Syracuse University. Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Syracuse. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Syracuse is a great university overall.

There were about 115 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Syracuse University get an earnings boost of around $13,198 above the average income of design & applied arts majors.

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

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

Translate your creative ideas through concept, design and digital media with a bachelor's in graphic design online from Southern New Hampshire University.

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

Related Programs

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
413 Design Degrees Awarded
$37,383 Median Starting Salary

Pratt Institute - Main is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of Brooklyn, Pratt Institute is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

There were about 413 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Pratt Institute in the most recent data year. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from Pratt Institute - Main make $4,400 more than the typical design student.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Pratt Institute - Main

4
New School University crest
The New School
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
668 Design Degrees Awarded
18.6% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts needs to check out The New School. New School University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #197 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means New School University is a great school overall.

There were roughly 668 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at New School University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the design program state that they receive average early career wages of $29,331.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from The New School

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
155 Design Degrees Awarded
$34,709 Median Starting Salary

RIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Rochester. A Best Colleges rank of #147 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means RIT is a great school overall.

There were about 155 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at RIT in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the design program make around $34,709 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Rochester Institute of Technology

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
297 Design Degrees Awarded
25.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of New York, SVA is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

There were about 297 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at SVA in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design degree recipients generally earn around $23,053 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from School of Visual Arts

7
Marist crest
Marist College
Poughkeepsie, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Design Degrees Awarded
34.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie, Marist is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #177 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Marist is a great college overall.

There were roughly 44 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Marist in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the design program earn around $28,336 in their early career salary.

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

Sponsored
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
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Design Degrees Awarded
38.3% Growth in Graduates

RPI is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Troy. A Best Colleges rank of #64 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means RPI is a great school overall.

There were approximately 47 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at RPI in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute make $3,208 above the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

9
LIM crest
LIM College
New York, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$31,885 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of New York, LIM is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

There were approximately 20 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at LIM in the most recent data year. After graduation, design degree recipients generally make about $31,885 in the first five years of their career.

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

10
SUNY Oneonta crest
SUNY Oneonta
Oneonta, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In NY
66 Design Degrees Awarded

Located in the remote town of Oneonta, SUNY Oneonta is a public school with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #358 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SUNY Oneonta is a great school overall.

There were about 66 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at SUNY Oneonta in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from SUNY Oneonta

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 334 1,234
Maryland 279 617
New Jersey 273 532
District of Columbia 188 83
Delaware 175 59

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
Fashion Design 1,087
Illustration 717
Interior Design 603
Graphic Design 557
Commercial & Advertising Art 414
Visual Communications 381
Industrial Design 275
Commercial Photography 122
Game & Interactive Media Design 109
Other Design & Applied Arts 104

View All Design Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Design

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 3,544
Drama & Theater Arts 3,142
Music 2,523
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 2,173
Arts & Media Management 595
General Visual & Performing Arts 549
Dance 498
Other Visual Art 473

View All Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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