2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts
133
Ranked Colleges
1,944
Degrees Awarded
$52,276
Avg Salary
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2021-2022, 36,323 people earned their degree in design & applied arts, making the major the 36th most popular in the United States. 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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,944 design & applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,979 and $43,370 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major” ranking looked at 133 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in design & applied arts. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in design & applied arts.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools
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 Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree design students.
Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Maryland Institute College of Art. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 210 degrees to qualified masters’s design students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full MICA Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York School of Interior Design. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major. New York School of Interior Design is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 49 masters’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at NYSID
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cranbrook Academy of Art. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. Cranbrook Academy of Art is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Carnbrook Academy Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Atlantic University College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. Located in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified masters’s design students in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Atlantic University College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pratt Institute - Main. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major. This medium-sized school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 122 masters’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Pratt Institute
Vermont College of Fine Arts did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking, coming in at #6. Montpelier, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s design degrees to 12 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Vermont College of Fine Arts Design & Applied Arts Report
Savannah College of Art and Design landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. SCAD is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Savannah, Georgia. It awarded 193 masters’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at SCAD
AI Miami International University of Art and Design landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. International Fine Arts College is a small school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 11 masters’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at AI Miami International University of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s design degrees to 9 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Otis College of Art and Design Design & Applied Arts Report
California College of the Arts came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. California College of the Arts is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 26 masters’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.
Full California College of the Arts Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #11, Pacific Northwest College of Art did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. Pacific Northwest College of Art is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Portland, Oregon. It awarded 2 masters’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Pacific Northwest College of Art
Academy of Art University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 78 masters’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%.
Full Academy of Art University Design & Applied Arts Report
Art Center College of Design came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. Art Center College of Design is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 36 masters’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Art Center College of Design
College for Creative Studies landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 degrees to qualified masters’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%. 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 CCS Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #15, Laguna College of Art and Design did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. Laguna College of Art and Design is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Laguna Beach, California. It awarded 5 masters’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Laguna College of Art and Design
School of Visual Arts did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking, coming in at #16. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s design degrees to 25 students in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at School of Visual Arts
With a ranking of #17, Minneapolis College of Art and Design did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. MCAD is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 5 masters’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full MCAD Design & Applied Arts Report
Marymount University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. Located in Arlington, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified masters’s design students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Marymount University
With a ranking of #19, The New School did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s design degrees to 91 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at New School University
School of the Art Institute of Chicago ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s design degrees to 20 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago Design & Applied Arts Report
University of Baltimore came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. UB is a small school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 14 masters’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
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 UB
Full Sail University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking, coming in at #22. Full Sail University is a large school located in Winter Park, Florida that handed out 87 masters’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Full Sail University
Furman University ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. Furman University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greenville, South Carolina. It awarded 20 masters’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Furman
With a ranking of #24, New York Film Academy did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major list. New York Film Academy is a small school located in Burbank, California that handed out 4 masters’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at New York Film Academy
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Design Major ranking. BGSU is located in Bowling Green, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 28 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Design & Applied Arts Report
