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2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Oregon

6 Colleges in Oregon
622 Design Degrees Awarded
$32,983 Avg Early-Career Salary
Design & Applied Arts is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #36 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 6 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Oregon ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 622 degrees in design & applied arts to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School

Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Oregon Your choice of design & applied arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Design & Applied Arts School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Design & Applied Arts Rankings by Degree Level

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

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 Schools in Oregon list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

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.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Design & Applied Arts in Oregon

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the design degree levels they offer.

Top Oregon Schools in Design

1
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
181 Design Degrees Awarded
8.3% Growth in Graduates

Portland Community College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in design & applied arts. Portland Community College is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Portland. This college ranks 4th out of 29 colleges for overall quality in the state of Oregon.

There were approximately 181 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Portland Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the design program make about $26,285 for their early career.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Design Degrees Awarded
$28,844 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts needs to take a look at University of Oregon. Located in the medium-sized city of Eugene, UO is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #167 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UO is a great university overall.

There were roughly 44 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UO in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the design program state that they receive average early career earnings of $28,844.

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

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
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 Design Degrees Awarded
22.4% Growth in Graduates

Portland State University is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of Portland, Portland State University is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 29 colleges for overall quality in the state of Oregon.

There were roughly 107 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Portland State University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts major at Portland State University get $2,321 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
108 Design Degrees Awarded
$35,614 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Oregon State University if you wish to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Corvallis, Oregon State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #238 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Oregon State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 108 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Oregon State in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts program at Oregon State University get $2,631 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In OR
37.0% Growth in Graduates

GFU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Newberg. This university ranks 9th out of 29 colleges for overall quality in the state of Oregon.

There were roughly 27 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at GFU in the most recent data year.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
35 Design Degrees Awarded
$19,501 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Portland, Pacific Northwest College of Art is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

There were about 35 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Pacific Northwest College of Art in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the design program earn about $19,501 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Pacific Northwest College of Art

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
Washington 300 532
Nevada 192 110
Hawaii 164 19

View All Rankings >

One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Design & Applied Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Design Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Graphic Design 199
Visual Communications 149
Interior Design 124
Other Design & Applied Arts 50
Commercial & Advertising Art 46
Illustration 35
Commercial Photography 13
Game & Interactive Media Design 6

View All Design Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 432
Music 245
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 181
Drama & Theater Arts 143
General Visual & Performing Arts 36
Dance 17
Other Visual Art 14
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 5
Arts & Media Management 4

View All Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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