by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 the Southwest region, there were 3,281 design & applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,253 and $24,821 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,392 design & applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,130 and $22,381 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region” ranking looked at 55 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in design & applied arts. That schools that top this list have a program in design & applied arts in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students.
Out of the 55 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, The Art Institute of Austin landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Bastrop, Texas, this small private for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The Art Institute of Dallas. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region. The Art Institute of Dallas is a small school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 8 bachelors’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 The Art Institute of Dallas
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The Art Institute of San Antonio. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region. Ai San Antonio is a small school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 17 bachelors’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at The Art Institute of San Antonio
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The Art Institute of Houston. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. Ai Houston is a private for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at The Art Institute of Houston
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wade College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region. Dallas, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.
University of Advancing Technology came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this small private for-profit school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students 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 University of Advancing Technology
With a ranking of #7, Oklahoma Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. OC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Oklahoma Christian University
With a ranking of #8, Lubbock Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. Lubbock Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lubbock, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.
Saint Edward’s University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Austin, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 35 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Saint Edward’s University
Schreiner University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Kerrville, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design 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%.
Abilene Christian University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Abilene, Texas, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Abilene Christian
McMurry University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. This small school is located in Abilene, Texas, and it awarded 1 bachelors’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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at McMurry University
Oklahoma Baptist University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Dallas Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #14. DBU is a small school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 15 bachelors’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
With a ranking of #15, Texas Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. TCU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Worth, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Texas Christian University
Texas State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Texas State University is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 103 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Texas State University
University of the Incarnate Word landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. University of the Incarnate Word is a medium-sized school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 21 bachelors’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of the Incarnate Word
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Embry-Riddle Prescott is a small school located in Prescott, Arizona that handed out 7 bachelors’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Embry-Riddle Prescott
University of North Texas landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school awarded 119 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of North Texas
Northern Arizona University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, this large public school awarded 112 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.
University of Central Oklahoma came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Edmond, Oklahoma is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 30 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Central Oklahoma
With a ranking of #22, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school handed out 182 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Stillwater, Oklahoma that handed out 63 bachelors’s design degrees 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%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. Richardson, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
University of Mary Hardin - Baylor ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. University of Mary Hardin - Baylor is located in Belton, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 University of Mary Hardin - Baylor Design & Applied Arts Report
Read more about our data sources and methodologies