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2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in District of Columbia

1 College in District of Columbia
60 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.

There was only one school in District of Columbia to review for the 2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in District of Columbia ranking.

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

Design & Applied Arts Rankings by Degree Level

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

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 Schools in District of Columbia. 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 District of Columbia

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 District of Columbia Schools in Design

1
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

American University is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the large city of Washington, The American University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a degree in design & applied arts from American University

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 334 1,234
New York 333 4,391
Maryland 279 617
New Jersey 273 532
Delaware 175 59

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 29
Interior Design 23
Visual Communications 5
Game & Interactive Media Design 3

View All Design Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Design

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 132
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 99
Music 80
Drama & Theater Arts 72
Arts & Media Management 54
General Visual & Performing Arts 13
Dance 5

View All Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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