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2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Kansas

4 Colleges in Kansas
325 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.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools in Kansas 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 325 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 Kansas 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

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 Kansas. 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 Kansas

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.

Top Kansas Schools in Design

1
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 Design Degrees Awarded
13.3% Growth in Graduates

University of Kansas is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Lawrence, KU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 83 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent year we have data available. Those design & applied arts students who get their degree from University of Kansas receive $4,525 more than the standard design graduate.

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

2
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
111 Design Degrees Awarded
18.0% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in design & applied arts has to look into Johnson County Community College. JCCC is a fairly large public college located in the medium-sized city of Overland Park. This college ranks 4th out of 44 colleges for overall quality in the state of Kansas.

There were about 111 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at JCCC in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, design degree recipients typically make about $32,030 in their early careers.

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

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
36 Design Degrees Awarded
52.8% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Kansas State University if you wish to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the small city of Manhattan, K -State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #269 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means K -State is a great university overall.

There were about 36 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at K -State in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Kansas State University earn a boost of around $11,009 over the typical earnings of design & applied arts majors.

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

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$33,590 Median Starting Salary

Wichita State University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of Wichita, WSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 15th out of 44 schools for overall quality in the state of Kansas.

There were about 26 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at WSU in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the design program earn about $33,590 in their early career salary.

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

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Plains States Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 284 533
Missouri 283 430
Iowa 264 479
Nebraska 238 223
North Dakota 210 36
South Dakota 204 57

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
Interior Design 131
Visual Communications 91
Graphic Design 66
Game & Interactive Media Design 14
Industrial Design 9
Other Design & Applied Arts 8
Fashion Design 6

View All Design Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Design

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 249
Music 179
General Visual & Performing Arts 107
Drama & Theater Arts 74
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 57
Dance 27
Arts & Media Management 13

View All Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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