2024 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools
If you pursue a bachelor's degree in
design & applied arts, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #27 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
In 2024, College Factual analyzed 328 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 19,770 bachelor's degrees in design & applied arts during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School for Your Bachelor's Degree
The design bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
Quality Overall Is Important
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average Earnings
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on design & applied arts students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - The number of design & applied arts students who choose to seek a bachelor's degree at the school.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for design & applied arts to pay back their student loans after receiving their bachelor's degree.
- 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 bachelor's degree.
More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
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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.
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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BA in Game Art & Development
Get on the right path to the fast-paced, exciting world of video game art and design with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
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Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Design & Applied Arts in the United States
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
25 Top Schools for a Bachelor's in Design
Washington University in St Louis is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Washington University in St Louis receive an earnings boost of approximately $8,258 above the average income of design & applied arts majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Washington University in St Louis
It is difficult to beat University of Notre Dame if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at University of Notre Dame earn $21,231 above the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Notre Dame
Carnegie Mellon University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts major at Carnegie Mellon University get $51,722 above the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Carnegie Mellon University
The University of Texas at Austin is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population.
Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin receive $19,816 more than the average design student.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from The University of Texas at Austin
Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a very large student population.
Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Iowa State University receive $3,746 more than the average design student.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Iowa State University
Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population.
Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign make $11,034 more than the standard design grad.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at University of California - Davis make $4,721 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of California - Davis
Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of Washington - Seattle Campus receive an earnings boost of approximately $16,175 above the typical income of design & applied arts majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Located in the large city of Brooklyn, Pratt Institute is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Pratt Institute - Main earn $2,891 more than the typical design graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Pratt Institute - Main
Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of California - Los Angeles receive an earnings boost of around $6,162 above the typical earnings of design & applied arts majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the midsize city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a very large student population.
Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of Florida earn a boost of approximately $9,948 over the typical earnings of design & applied arts graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Florida
Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Michigan State University get an earnings boost of approximately $3,987 over the average income of design & applied arts majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Michigan State University
Located in the large city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Texas Christian University receive an earnings boost of about $13,382 over the average income of design & applied arts majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Texas Christian University
New School University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.
Soon after graduation, design bachelor's recipients usually make around $30,178 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from The New School
Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech make $16,099 more than the standard design graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Virginia Tech
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