2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Texas
26
Colleges in Texas
1,870
Design Degrees Awarded
$32,983
Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in
design & applied arts, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #36 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 26 schools in Texas to determine which ones were the best for design & applied arts students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,870 degrees in design & applied arts annually.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
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Featured Design & Applied Arts Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
AA in Digital Photography
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 More
BA in Digital Photography
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.
Learn More
Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School
Your choice of design & applied arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for design & applied arts schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each 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
The design school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Texas.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
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Featured Design & Applied Arts Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
AA in Digital Photography
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 More
BA in Digital Photography
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.
Learn More
Best Schools for Design & Applied Arts in Texas
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the design degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top Texas Schools in Design
Every student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts has to take a look at The University of Texas at Austin. UT Austin is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Austin. A Best Colleges rank of #46 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.
There were roughly 111 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from The University of Texas at Austin receive an earnings boost of around $11,523 above the average income of design & applied arts graduates.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from The University of Texas at Austin
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
9th
Most Popular In TX
52
Design Degrees Awarded
It's hard to beat Texas Christian University if you want to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. TCU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Fort Worth. A Best Colleges rank of #112 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means TCU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 52 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Texas Christian University
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 UniversityRelated Programs
Texas State University is a great option for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts. Texas State is a fairly large public university located in the city of San Marcos. A Best Colleges rank of #396 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Texas State is a great university overall.
There were approximately 110 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Texas State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts major at Texas State University make $11,413 more than the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Texas State University
It's difficult to beat Collin County Community College District if you wish to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the suburb of McKinney, Collin County Community College District is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #386 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Collin County Community College District is a great college overall.
There were roughly 208 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Collin County Community College District 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 earnings of $33,456.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Collin County Community College District
SMU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Dallas. A Best Colleges rank of #142 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SMU is a great university overall.
There were about 12 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Southern Methodist University
UNT is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Denton. A Best Colleges rank of #310 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNT is a great university overall.
There were about 138 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UNT in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the design program report average early career income of $33,867.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of North Texas
Located in the medium-sized city of Waco, Baylor is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #150 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Baylor is a great university overall.
There were about 25 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Baylor in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts program at Baylor University make $6,350 above the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Baylor University
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 UniversityRelated Programs
Located in the large city of Dallas, El Centro College is a public college with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #281 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means El Centro College is a great college overall.
There were approximately 119 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at El Centro College in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the design program report average early career wages of $31,478.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from El Centro College
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
10th
Most Popular In TX
Located in the large city of Lubbock, Texas Tech is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #161 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Texas Tech is a great university overall.
There were about 29 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Texas Tech in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Texas Tech University
Located in the large city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a public college with a very large student population. This college ranks 20th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.
There were approximately 165 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Austin Community College District in the most recent year we have data available. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Austin Community College District earn a boost of approximately $7,306 over the average income of design & applied arts majors.
More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Austin Community College District
