by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region” ranking, we looked at 98 colleges that offer a degree 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 picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wade College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. Wade College is a private for-profit institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The Art Institute of Austin. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region. The Art Institute of Austin is a private for-profit institution located in Bastrop, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The Art Institute of Dallas. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. Located in Dallas, Texas, this small private for-profit school awarded 14 degrees to qualified ’s design students 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 full report on 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 #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region. Ai San Antonio is a small school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 20 ’s design degrees 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 be in good company if you decide to attend Sessions College for Professional Design. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. This small school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 60 ’s design degrees 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%.
The Art Institute of Houston landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this small private for-profit school awarded 30 degrees to qualified ’s design students 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%.
University of Advancing Technology came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 32 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Advancing Technology
Oklahoma Christian University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. OC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Edmond, Oklahoma. It awarded 31 ’s design degrees 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%.
Full Oklahoma Christian University Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #9, Lubbock Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. LCU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 10 ’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
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 Lubbock Christian University Design & Applied Arts Report
Scottsdale Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. Scottsdale Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Scottsdale, Arizona. It awarded 58 ’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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Scottsdale Community College
Saint Edward’s University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #11. St. Edward’s University is located in Austin, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 35 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Okmulgee, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 10 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology
Schreiner University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. This small school is located in Kerrville, Texas, and it awarded 8 ’s design degrees 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%.
With a ranking of #14, Abilene Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. Located in Abilene, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 12 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Abilene Christian University
Eastern Arizona College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Thatcher, Arizona, this small public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2021-2022.
Eastern New Mexico University - Roswell Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. ENMU - Roswell Campus is located in Roswell, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 13 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Eastern New Mexico University - Roswell Campus
McMurry University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Abilene, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
New Mexico State University - Alamogordo did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #18. Alamogordo, New Mexico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 2 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%. 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 Mexico State University - Alamogordo
Oklahoma Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and it awarded 14 ’s design 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 Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. DBU is a small school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 15 ’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Dallas Baptist University
Texas State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Texas State University is a large school located in San Marcos, Texas that handed out 110 ’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Texas State University
Remington College - Fort Worth Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in Fort Worth, Texas, and it awarded 5 ’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Remington College - Fort Worth Campus
Texas Christian University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Texas Christian University is a fairly large school located in Fort Worth, Texas that handed out 52 ’s design degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of North Texas landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region ranking. UNT is located in Denton, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 138 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of the Incarnate Word ranked #25 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Design Major in the Southwest Region list. UIW is a medium-sized school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 21 ’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 our data sources and methodologies