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2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Ohio

16 Colleges in Ohio
1,960 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.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 16 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Ohio ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,960 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 Ohio Your choice of design & applied arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

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 Ohio list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 Ohio

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 Ohio Schools in Design

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
227 Design Degrees Awarded
$52,526 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in design & applied arts has to check out University of Cincinnati - Main Campus. Located in the city of Cincinnati, UC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 227 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus earn $19,543 above the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
271 Design Degrees Awarded
12.2% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts needs to look into Kent State University at Kent. Located in the large suburb of Kent, Kent State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #250 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Kent State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 271 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Kent State in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts major at Kent State University at Kent make $3,368 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

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
42 Design Degrees Awarded
$45,176 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Ohio State University - Main Campus if you wish to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were about 42 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts program at Ohio State University - Main Campus earn $12,193 more than the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Ohio State University - Main Campus

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
123 Design Degrees Awarded
3.3% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in design & applied arts has to look into Columbus College of Art and Design. CCAD is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large city of Columbus.

There were about 123 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at CCAD in the most recent data year. After graduating, design degree recipients typically earn around $27,970 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Columbus College of Art and Design

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Design Degrees Awarded
$47,295 Median Starting Salary

Located in the fringe town of Oxford, Miami University - Oxford is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #134 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Miami University - Oxford is a great university overall.

There were about 62 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from Miami University - Oxford earn $14,312 more than the typical design grad.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Miami University - Oxford

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Design Degrees Awarded
$23,358 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Cleveland, CIA is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

There were roughly 65 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at CIA in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the design program earn around $23,358 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Cleveland Institute of Art

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
120 Design Degrees Awarded
26.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Bowling Green, BGSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 18th out of 91 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were about 120 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at BGSU in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Bowling Green State University - Main Campus earn a boost of around $2,662 above the typical earnings of design & applied arts majors.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

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
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$43,609 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Dayton, UDayton is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #227 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UDayton is a great university overall.

There were approximately 18 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UDayton in the most recent year we have data available. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from University of Dayton earn a boost of about $10,626 above the average earnings of design & applied arts graduates.

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

9
Cedarville crest
Cedarville University
Cedarville, OH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
45 Design Degrees Awarded
$35,768 Median Starting Salary

Cedarville is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Cedarville. This university ranks 31st out of 91 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were approximately 45 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Cedarville in the most recent year we have data available. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from Cedarville University make $2,785 more than the average design grad.

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

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
152 Design Degrees Awarded
$24,490 Median Starting Salary

Sinclair Community College is a large public college located in the medium-sized city of Dayton. This college ranks 19th out of 91 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were about 152 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Sinclair Community College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design degree recipients generally make around $24,490 in their early careers.

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

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 997
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
Commercial & Advertising Art 383
Visual Communications 364
Graphic Design 285
Fashion Design 246
Interior Design 178
Commercial Photography 171
Industrial Design 132
Illustration 102
Game & Interactive Media Design 72
Other Design & Applied Arts 27

View All Design Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Design

Related Major Annual Graduates
Music 1,125
Fine & Studio Arts 741
Drama & Theater Arts 522
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 364
General Visual & Performing Arts 205
Arts & Media Management 143
Dance 102
Other Visual Art 17
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 2

View All Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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