by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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 Virginia, there were 1,011 design & applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,012 and $32,345 respectively.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia” ranking looked at 16 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.
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 “Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia”.
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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia design students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The Art Institute of Virginia Beach. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia. Virginia Beach, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at The Art Institute of Virginia Beach
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Marymount University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia. This small school is located in Arlington, Virginia, and it awarded 54 ’s design degrees 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Marymount University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Commonwealth University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia list. VCU is located in Richmond, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 333 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.
Out of the 16 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Longwood University landed the #4 spot on the list. Longwood is a public institution located in Farmville, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees 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 Longwood University
Out of the 16 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Radford University landed the #5 spot on the list. Radford, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 28 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Tidewater Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia list. Tidewater Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Norfolk, Virginia. It awarded 60 ’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Tidewater Community College
Virginia Western Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia list. Virginia Western Community College is located in Roanoke, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 15 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Virginia Western Community College
Liberty University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia ranking. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 274 ’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 Liberty University
Central Virginia Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia ranking. Central Virginia Community College is a public institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Central Virginia Community College
With a ranking of #10, Thomas Nelson Community College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia list. Thomas Nelson Community College is located in Hampton, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 15 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.
With a ranking of #11, Northern Virginia Community College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia list. Northern Virginia Community College is located in Annandale, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 75 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Northern Virginia Community College Design & Applied Arts Report
Ferrum College ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia list. Ferrum, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Virginia Tech landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia ranking. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 71 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Regent University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia list. Regent is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Regent University
George Mason University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia ranking. This large school is located in Fairfax, Virginia, and it awarded 3 ’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Emory and Henry College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in Virginia ranking. Emory, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 2 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Emory and Henry College
Read more about our data sources and methodologies