2023 Most Focused Associate Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in California
81
Ranked Colleges
1,088
Degrees Awarded
$24,591
Avg Salary
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California” ranking.
Design & Applied Arts is the 36th most popular major in the country with 36,323 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , design & applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $32,210 and had an average of $24,297 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 4,768 design & applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,229 and $26,041 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 1,088 design & applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,701 and $18,669 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California” ranking looked at 81 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in design & applied arts. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their design & applied arts program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California”.
Top 25 Most Focused Associate Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Interior Designers Institute. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Newport Beach, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associates’s design degrees to 30 students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Interior Designers Institute Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Platt College - San Diego. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California. Located in San Diego, California, this small private for-profit school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified associates’s design students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Platt College - San Diego
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 237 associates’s design degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Los Angeles Pacific College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California. Los Angeles Pacific College is a private for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 associates’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Los Angeles Pacific College
Platt College - Ontario ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Platt College - Ontario is a small school located in Ontario, California that handed out 12 associates’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Platt College - Ontario
Columbia College Hollywood ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Columbia College Hollywood is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tarzana, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 associates’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Columbia College Hollywood
With a ranking of #8, West Valley College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Located in Saratoga, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified associates’s design students in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at West Valley College
Los Angeles Trade Technical College ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Los Angeles Trade Technical College is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 40 associates’s design degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Los Angeles Trade Technical College
With a ranking of #10, San Diego City College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Located in San Diego, California, this fairly large public school awarded 22 degrees to qualified associates’s design students in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at San Diego City College
San Diego Mesa College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking, coming in at #11. San Diego Mesa College is a fairly large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 16 associates’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at San Diego Mesa College
With a ranking of #12, Foothill College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Foothill College is a fairly large school located in Los Altos Hills, California that handed out 21 associates’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Foothill College
Canada College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking. Redwood City, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s design degrees to 5 students in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Canada College
Mission College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking. Santa Clara, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s design degrees to 12 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Mission College
With a ranking of #15, Sierra College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Sierra College is located in Rocklin, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 54 associates’s design degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Sierra College
Napa Valley College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking, coming in at #16. Napa, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s design degrees to 10 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Napa Valley College
With a ranking of #17, Santa Monica College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Located in Santa Monica, California, this large public school awarded 46 degrees to qualified associates’s design students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Santa Monica College Design & Applied Arts Report
Academy of Art University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associates’s design degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Academy of Art University Design & Applied Arts Report
Las Positas College ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Livermore, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s design degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Las Positas College
San Joaquin Delta College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking. Delta is a fairly large school located in Stockton, California that handed out 17 associates’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Delta
Palomar College ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. Palomar College is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 28 associates’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Palomar College
With a ranking of #22, Monterey Peninsula College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California list. This medium-sized school is located in Monterey, California, and it awarded 3 associates’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
Full Monterey Peninsula College Design & Applied Arts Report
Cuyamaca College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking, coming in at #23. El Cajon, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s design degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Cuyamaca College
American River College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 14 associates’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at American River
Mt. San Jacinto College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for an Associate Highly Focused on Design Major in California ranking, coming in at #25. Mt. San Jacinto College is a fairly large school located in San Jacinto, California that handed out 22 associates’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full MSJC Design & Applied Arts Report
