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2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

9 Colleges in the Far Western US Region
1,514 Associate Degrees
$27,912 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #19 in popularity, design & applied arts is one of the most sought-after associate degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual looked at 9 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,514 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 the Far Western US Region 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. 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 take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of associate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their associate degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

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

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Design Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The design school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Design & Applied Arts in the Far Western US Region

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in design & applied arts.

Top Far Western US Region Schools for an Associate in Design

1
234 Annual Graduates
$24,393 Median Starting Salary
$49,870 Median Student Debt

It is hard to beat FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles if you want to pursue an associate degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, FIDM Los Angeles is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

After graduating, design associate recipients typically earn an average of $24,393 in their early careers.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles

2

Any student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in design & applied arts needs to look into Portland Community College. Portland Community College is a fairly large public college located in the city of Portland.

Soon after graduating, design associate recipients generally make an average of $26,285 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Portland Community College

3
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA

It is hard to beat Academy of Art University if you wish to pursue an associate degree in design & applied arts. Academy of Art University is a moderately-sized private for-profit university located in the city of San Francisco.

Associate students who receive their degree from the design program make around $26,478 for their early career.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Academy of Art University

4
10 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat Shoreline Community College if you want to pursue an associate degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large suburb of Shoreline, Shoreline Community College is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Shoreline Community College

5

Located in the large city of Seattle, Seattle Central is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the design program report average early career income of $29,775.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Seattle Central College

6
BC crest
Bellevue College
Bellevue, WA
22 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Bellevue, BC is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Bellevue College

7
41 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Las Vegas, CSN is a public college with a very large student population.More information about a associate in design & applied arts from College of Southern Nevada

8

Spokane Falls Community College is a small public college located in the medium-sized city of Spokane.

Associate students who receive their degree from the design program earn about $21,508 for their early career.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Spokane Falls Community College

9

Interior Designers Institute is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Newport Beach.

Those design & applied arts students who get their associate degree from Interior Designers Institute make $24,856 more than the typical design graduate.

More information about a associate in design & applied arts from Interior Designers Institute

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best design & applied arts schools for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
California 192 1,131
Oregon 147 169
Washington 131 178
Nevada 112 49
Hawaii 59 9

View All Rankings >

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 562
Interior Design 320
Fashion Design 274
Commercial & Advertising Art 143
Visual Communications 104
Game & Interactive Media Design 54
Commercial Photography 32
Illustration 24
Industrial Design 1

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 2,358
Music 1,015
General Visual & Performing Arts 720
Drama & Theater Arts 719
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 493
Dance 83
Other Visual Art 10
Arts & Media Management 6

Notes and References

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