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2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

14 Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region
1,356 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 14 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,356 degrees in design & applied arts to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Design & Applied Arts School

Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region The design program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Design & Applied Arts rankings. 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.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Design & Applied Arts 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 the Rocky Mountains Region 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 the Rocky Mountains Region

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.

10 Top Rocky Mountains Region Schools in Design

1
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In UT
35 Design Degrees Awarded

University of Utah is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in design & applied arts. U of U is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Salt Lake City. A Best Colleges rank of #213 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means U of U is a great university overall.

There were roughly 35 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at U of U in the most recent year we have data available.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In CO

Any student who is interested in design & applied arts has to look into University of Denver. Located in the city of Denver, DU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #174 out of 2,152 colleges 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 data year.

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

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
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
72 Design Degrees Awarded
$33,915 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Brigham Young University - Provo if you wish to pursue a degree in design & applied arts. BYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Provo. A Best Colleges rank of #257 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means BYU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 72 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at BYU in the most recent data year. After graduating, design degree recipients usually earn about $33,915 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Brigham Young University - Provo

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
122 Design Degrees Awarded
4.1% Growth in Graduates

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design is a great option for students interested in a degree in design & applied arts. Located in the suburb of Lakewood, RMCAD is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

There were about 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 state that they receive average early career earnings of $29,829.

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

5
Salt Lake Community College crest
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake City, UT
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Design Degrees Awarded
$34,227 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Community College is a public college with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #443 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Salt Lake Community College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 60.99999999999999 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Salt Lake Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the design program earn an average of $34,227 in their early career salary.

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

6

Located in the city of Bozeman, MSU Bozeman is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 12 schools for overall quality in the state of Montana.

There were about 23 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at MSU Bozeman in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the design & applied arts major at Montana State University get $3,948 more than the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Montana State University

7
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Design Degrees Awarded
3.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Littleton, Arapahoe Community College is a public college with a large student population. This college ranks 18th out of 31 colleges for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were roughly 61 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Arapahoe Community College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, design degree recipients typically 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

Sponsored
Associates Degree Type
AA in Digital Photography Program Name

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.

More information about a degree in AA in Digital Photography from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
109 Design Degrees Awarded
4.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Boise, Boise State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 10 schools for overall quality in the state of Idaho.

There were approximately 109 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at Boise State in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, design degree recipients usually make an average of $31,083 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Boise State University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
454 Design Degrees Awarded
36.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Orem, UVU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 11 colleges for overall quality in the state of Utah.

There were roughly 454 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at UVU 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 wages of $31,888.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Utah Valley University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Design Degrees Awarded
$40,507 Median Starting Salary

WSU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Ogden. A Best Colleges rank of #389 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means WSU is a great university overall.

There were about 40 design & applied arts students who graduated with this degree at WSU in the most recent data year. Design & Applied Arts degree recipients from Weber State University get an earnings boost of about $7,524 over the typical income of design & applied arts graduates.

More information about a degree in design & applied arts from Weber State University

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best design & applied arts schools for a specific state in the Rocky Mountains Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Colorado 275 316
Utah 266 569
Idaho 219 125
Montana 188 25
Wyoming 162 22

View All Rankings >

Design & Applied Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Design Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Visual Communications 556
Interior Design 236
Graphic Design 192
Game & Interactive Media Design 113
Industrial Design 83
Illustration 64
Commercial Photography 47
Commercial & Advertising Art 39
Other Design & Applied Arts 17
Fashion Design 9

View All Design Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Design

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 1,197
Music 1,032
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 844
Drama & Theater Arts 558
Dance 178
General Visual & Performing Arts 104
Arts & Media Management 55
Other Visual Art 26

View All Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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