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2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan

10 Colleges in Michigan
980 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 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 980 degrees in design & applied arts annually.

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

Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School

Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan 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 Michigan 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 Michigan

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.

10 Top Michigan Schools in Design

1
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
110 Design Degrees Awarded
11.8% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Michigan State University if you want to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. Michigan State is a very large public university located in the small city of East Lansing. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were about 110 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from Michigan State University receive $3,801 more than the average design student.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 Design Degrees Awarded
$32,665 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts needs to take a look at College for Creative Studies. CCS is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large city of Detroit.

There were about 98 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at CCS in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the design program state that they receive average early career income of $32,665.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from College for Creative Studies

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
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
105 Design Degrees Awarded
$34,045 Median Starting Salary

Ferris State University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in design & applied arts. Ferris is a medium-sized public university located in the remote town of Big Rapids. This university ranks 13th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 105 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Ferris in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, design degree recipients usually earn an average of $34,045 in the first five years of their career.

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

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Design Degrees Awarded
7.8% Growth in Graduates

Western Michigan University is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in design & applied arts. WMU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Kalamazoo. A Best Colleges rank of #322 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means WMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 64 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at WMU in the most recent year we have data available. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from Western Michigan University receive $6,094 more than the standard design graduate.

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

5
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Design Degrees Awarded
$36,917 Median Starting Salary

Located in the distant town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #346 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Central Michigan is a great university overall.

There were about 55 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Central Michigan in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts major at Central Michigan University make $3,934 above the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In MI
67 Design Degrees Awarded

Located in the large suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 15th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 67 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Eastern Michigan in the most recent data year.

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

7
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, MI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Design Degrees Awarded
4.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #443 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Oakland is a great university overall.

There were approximately 61 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Oakland in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the design program make around $30,687 in their early career salary.

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

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
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In MI
3.4% Growth in Graduates

Washtenaw Community College is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Ann Arbor. This college ranks 29th out of 56 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 29 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Washtenaw Community College in the most recent year we have data available.

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

9
Saginaw Valley State University crest
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, MI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Design Degrees Awarded
15.6% Growth in Graduates

Saginaw Valley State University is a medium-sized public university located in the midsize suburb of University Center. This university ranks 28th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 32 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Saginaw Valley State University in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, design degree recipients generally make around $27,577 in their early careers.

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

10
Henry Ford College crest
Henry Ford College
Dearborn, MI
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
$19,911 Median Starting Salary

Henry Ford College is a fairly large public college located in the medium-sized city of Dearborn. This college ranks 33rd out of 56 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 21 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Henry Ford College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design degree recipients generally make an average of $19,911 at the beginning of their careers.

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

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Ohio 314 1,443
Illinois 304 978
Indiana 294 417
Wisconsin 273 717

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 381
Interior Design 136
Commercial & Advertising Art 114
Game & Interactive Media Design 114
Illustration 84
Industrial Design 61
Fashion Design 40
Visual Communications 33
Other Design & Applied Arts 16
Commercial Photography 1

View All Design Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 734
Music 699
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 540
Drama & Theater Arts 299
Dance 105
Arts & Media Management 48
General Visual & Performing Arts 25
Other Visual Art 17
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 9

View All Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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