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2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Colorado

6 Colleges in Colorado
393 Design Degrees Awarded
$32,983 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #36 in popularity, design & applied arts is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 6 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Colorado ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 393 degrees in design & applied arts annually.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School

Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Colorado Your choice of design & applied arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Design & Applied Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Design & Applied Arts Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Design
Bachelor's Degrees in Design
Master's Degrees in Design

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Colorado list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Design & Applied Arts in Colorado

The schools below may not offer all types of design degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

Top Colorado Schools in Design

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In CO

It's hard to beat University of Denver if you want to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. DU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Denver. A Best Colleges rank of #174 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means DU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 21 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at DU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from University of Denver

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
122 Design Degrees Awarded
4.1% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in design & applied arts needs to look into Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. RMCAD is a small private for-profit college located in the suburb of Lakewood.

There were approximately 122 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at RMCAD in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the design program report average early career earnings of $29,829.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts Program Name

Translate your creative ideas through concept, design and digital media with a bachelor's in graphic design online from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Design Degrees Awarded
3.3% Growth in Graduates

Arapahoe Community College is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in design & applied arts. Arapahoe Community College is a fairly large public college located in the suburb of Littleton. This college ranks 18th out of 31 schools for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were approximately 61 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Arapahoe Community College in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, design degree recipients generally earn about $32,100 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Arapahoe Community College

4
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Design Degrees Awarded
25.0% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in design & applied arts has to take a look at Front Range Community College. Located in the suburb of Westminster, FRCC is a public college with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #416 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means FRCC is a great college overall.

There were approximately 32 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at FRCC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the design program state that they receive average early career earnings of $21,397.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Front Range Community College

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Design Degrees Awarded
11.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Denver, MSU Denver is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 24th out of 31 schools for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were roughly 63 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at MSU Denver in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Metropolitan State University of Denver get an earnings boost of around $6,467 above the average earnings of design & applied arts graduates.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Metropolitan State University of Denver

6
Colorado Mesa crest
Colorado Mesa University
Grand Junction, CO
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In CO
43.8% Growth in Graduates

Colorado Mesa is a moderately-sized public university located in the small city of Grand Junction. This university ranks 26th out of 31 colleges for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were roughly 16 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Colorado Mesa in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Colorado Mesa University

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Utah 266 569
Idaho 219 125
Montana 188 25
Wyoming 162 22

View All Rankings >

One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Design & Applied Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Design Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Graphic Design 106
Interior Design 96
Game & Interactive Media Design 47
Commercial Photography 38
Illustration 35
Industrial Design 34
Visual Communications 33
Fashion Design 4

View All Design Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Design

Related Major Annual Graduates
Music 496
Fine & Studio Arts 492
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 279
Drama & Theater Arts 178
General Visual & Performing Arts 46
Arts & Media Management 37
Dance 24
Other Visual Art 2

View All Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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