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2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Wisconsin

6 Colleges in Wisconsin
290 Associate Degrees
$29,131 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a associate degree in design & applied arts, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #19 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 6 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Wisconsin ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 290 associate degrees in design & applied arts to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School for Your Associate Degree

Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Wisconsin The design associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality design program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their associate degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their associate degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for design & applied arts students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Wisconsin ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Design & Applied Arts in Wisconsin

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in design & applied arts.

Top Wisconsin Schools for an Associate in Design

1

Madison Area Technical College is one of the finest schools in the country for getting an associate degree in design & applied arts. Madison College is a large public college located in the city of Madison.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the design program make around $30,710 in their early career salary.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Madison Area Technical College

2

Gateway Technical College is a wonderful decision for individuals interested in an associate degree in design & applied arts. Gateway Technical College is a fairly large public college located in the city of Kenosha.

Associate students who receive their degree from the design program earn an average of $29,734 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Gateway Technical College

3

Western Technical College is one of the best schools in the country for getting an associate degree in design & applied arts. Western Technical College is a small public college located in the small city of La Crosse.

Students who graduate with their associate from the design program state that they receive average early career wages of $23,032.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Western Technical College

4

Milwaukee Area Technical College is a great option for individuals interested in an associate degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Milwaukee, MATC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the design program report average early career earnings of $27,795.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Milwaukee Area Technical College

5

Located in the suburb of Pewaukee, WCTC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Design & Applied Arts associate degree recipients from Waukesha County Technical College get an earnings boost of about $9,964 over the typical earnings of design & applied arts graduates.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Waukesha County Technical College

6

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Appleton, FVTC is a public college with a large student population.

Associate recipients from the design & applied arts major at Fox Valley Technical College make $3,542 above the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Fox Valley Technical College

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Ohio 196 279
Michigan 192 260
Indiana 123 112
Illinois 119 136

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

Design Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Graphic Design 164
Interior Design 77
Visual Communications 25
Commercial Photography 12
Game & Interactive Media Design 12

Related Major Annual Graduates
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 19
General Visual & Performing Arts 6
Music 4

Notes and References

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