2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Wisconsin
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
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Featured Design & Applied Arts Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
AA in Digital Photography
Take the first step toward a career of visual expression and doing what you love with this online associate degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
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BA in Digital Photography
Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
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Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School for Your Associate Degree
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.
- Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to design & applied arts students as compared to other majors.
- Major Demand - The number of design & applied arts students who choose to seek a associate degree at the school.
- Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
- Student Debt - How much debt design & applied arts students go into to obtain their associate degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized design & applied arts related body.
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
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.
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Featured Design & Applied Arts Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
AA in Digital Photography
Take the first step toward a career of visual expression and doing what you love with this online associate degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Learn More
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
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
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
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
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
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