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2022 Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Plains States Region

85 Colleges in the Plains States Region
1,383 Bachelor's Degrees
$31,804 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a bachelor's degree in design and applied arts, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #27 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2022 ranking, College Factual looked at 85 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the most popular for design and applied arts students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,383 bachelor's degrees in design and applied arts to qualified students.

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Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Plains States Region The design bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. One of the reasons we created our Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Plains States Region ranking is to help you make that choice.

Being popular does not always equate to overall quality, but a school with a large number of design and applied arts students usually has them for a reason. This may be due to it being a great value, it offering a stellar educational experience, or the subject is a major focus of the school.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

Associate Degrees in Design
Master's Degrees in Design
Doctor's Degrees in Design
Overall Popularity in Design

This ranking is just one of the many we have created. First of all, if you are interested in other degree levels, you may want to take a look at one of the rankings highlighted above. Also, if you are interested in attending school in a specific part of the country, see our rankings by location. On top of that, you can visit our other rankings for design and applied arts.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Explore the most popular colleges and universities for design and applied arts students seeking a a bachelor's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

12 Most Well Attended Schools for Design Students Working on Their Bachelor's

1
227 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In IA
#1 Best Quality In IA

Iowa State University is one of the most popular schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in design and applied arts. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a fairly large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in design and applied arts in Iowa.

There were approximately 227 design and applied arts individuals who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available.

Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Iowa State University get an earnings boost of about $4,196 above the typical earnings of design and applied arts graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in design and applied arts from Iowa State University

2
132 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MN
#1 Best Quality In MN

Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in design and applied arts needs to check out University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in design and applied arts in Minnesota.

There were about 132 design and applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available.

Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities receive an earnings boost of about $8,396 over the typical earnings of design and applied arts graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in design and applied arts from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

3
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
78 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In KS
#2 Best Quality In KS

University of Kansas is one of the most popular schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in design and applied arts. KU is a very large public university located in the city of Lawrence. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in design and applied arts in Kansas.

There were about 78 design and applied arts students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent data year.

Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of Kansas earn a boost of about $4,996 over the typical earnings of design and applied arts majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in design and applied arts from University of Kansas

4
57 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In MN
#6 Best Quality In MN

Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in design and applied arts has to look into Minneapolis College of Art and Design. MCAD is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Minneapolis. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #6 in quality for bachelor's degrees in design and applied arts in Minnesota.

There were roughly 57 design and applied arts individuals who graduated with this degree at MCAD in the most recent data year.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the design program state that they receive average early career earnings of $22,800.

More information about a bachelor’s in design and applied arts from Minneapolis College of Art and Design

5
53 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MO
#1 Best Quality In MO

Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in design and applied arts in Missouri.

There were about 53 design and applied arts students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in design and applied arts from Washington University in St Louis

6
50 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#3 Most Popular In MN
#2 Best Quality In MN

Located in the small city of Duluth, UMN Duluth is a public university with a large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in design and applied arts in Minnesota.

There were about 50 design and applied arts individuals who graduated with this degree at UMN Duluth in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduating, design bachelor's recipients usually make about $30,000 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in design and applied arts from University of Minnesota - Duluth

7
47 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In MO
#2 Best Quality In MO

Maryville U is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in design and applied arts in Missouri.

There were approximately 47 design and applied arts individuals who graduated with this degree at Maryville U in the most recent data year.

Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Maryville University of Saint Louis receive an earnings boost of approximately $6,396 above the typical earnings of design and applied arts graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in design and applied arts from Maryville University of Saint Louis

8
39 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#3 Most Popular In MO
#6 Best Quality In MO

UCM is a medium-sized public university located in the town of Warrensburg. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #6 in quality for bachelor's degrees in design and applied arts in Missouri.

There were approximately 39 design and applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UCM in the most recent year we have data available.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the design program state that they receive average early career income of $30,900.

More information about a bachelor’s in design and applied arts from University of Central Missouri

9
36 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#4 Most Popular In MO
#8 Best Quality In MO

Located in the city of Kansas City, Kansas City Art Institute is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #8 in quality for bachelor's degrees in design and applied arts in Missouri.

There were roughly 36 design and applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Kansas City Art Institute in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduating, design bachelor's recipients usually make an average of $26,800 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in design and applied arts from Kansas City Art Institute

9
36 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In IA
#4 Best Quality In IA

Located in the small city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for bachelor's degrees in design and applied arts in Iowa.

There were about 36 design and applied arts individuals who graduated with this degree at UNI in the most recent year we have data available.

Soon after graduation, design bachelor's recipients usually earn an average of $33,800 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in design and applied arts from University of Northern Iowa

11
34 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#5 Most Popular In MO
#5 Best Quality In MO

Located in the midsize city of Springfield, Missouri State is a public university with a fairly large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #5 in quality for bachelor's degrees in design and applied arts in Missouri.

There were about 34 design and applied arts individuals who graduated with this degree at Missouri State in the most recent data year.

After graduation, design bachelor's recipients generally earn an average of $25,600 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in design and applied arts from Missouri State University - Springfield

11
Bellevue University crest
Bellevue University
Bellevue, NE
34 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NE
#2 Best Quality In NE

Bellevue University is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Bellevue. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in design and applied arts in Nebraska.

There were about 34 design and applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Bellevue University in the most recent data year.

Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Bellevue University get an earnings boost of around $8,296 above the average income of design and applied arts graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in design and applied arts from Bellevue University

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Plains States Region award.

Rank College Location
13 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
14 Webster University Saint Louis, MO
15 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Moorhead, MN
16 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
17 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
17 Wichita State University Wichita, KS
19 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD
20 Park University Parkville, MO
20 Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State

Explore the most popular design and applied arts colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Missouri 217 322
Minnesota 210 338
Iowa 193 370
Kansas 175 133
Nebraska 174 104
South Dakota 142 50
North Dakota 141 24

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Design & Applied Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Design Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Graphic Design 590
Visual Communications 238
Interior Design 217
Commercial & Advertising Art 133
Industrial Design 74
Illustration 66
Fashion Design 34
Game & Interactive Media Design 31

Majors Similar to Design

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 1,649
Music 944
Drama & Theater Arts 800
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 399
General Visual & Performing Arts 199
Dance 115
Arts & Media Management 58
Other Visual Art 5

Notes and References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

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