2021 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You
Design & Applied Arts is the #35 most popular major in the country with 36,179 degrees and certificates awarded in 2018-2019.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 391 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2021 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges.
Top 25 Top Schools in Design
Our 2021 rankings named The Creative Circus the best school in the United States for design and applied arts students. Located in the city of Atlanta, The Creative Circus is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, design graduates from The Creative Circus carry an average student debtload of $21,010. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $218, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Cornell University is a great place for design and applied arts students. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ithaca.
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The excellent programs at University of Notre Dame helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in the United States. Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Notre Dame take out is $18,975. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $197, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Carnegie Mellon University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools list. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
After completing their degree, design graduates from Carnegie Mellon carry an average student debtload of $23,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $239.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a great place for design and applied arts students. Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public college with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Georgia Tech take out is $26,874. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $279.
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With a ranking of #6, Northeastern University did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. Located in the large city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, design graduates from Northeastern carry an average student debtload of $29,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $301.
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Sessions College for Professional Design landed the #7 spot in the 2021 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Located in the midsize city of Tempe, Sessions College is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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With a ranking of #8, University of Delaware did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. U of Delaware is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Newark.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at U of Delaware take out is $24,500. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $254.
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Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #9 spot in the 2021 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Illinois Tech is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.
Design majors at Illinois Tech take out an average of $142,414 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $1,659.
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With a ranking of #10, Virginia Tech did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population.
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University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #11 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools list. Wisconsin is a very large public school located in the city of Madison.
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With a ranking of #12, Wentworth Institute of Technology did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. Located in the large city of Boston, WIT is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, design majors at WIT accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $280.
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University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools list. Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public college with a fairly large student population.
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American University landed the #14 spot in the 2021 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. The American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington.
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With a ranking of #15, Endicott College did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. Endicott is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Beverly.
After completing their degree, design graduates from Endicott carry an average student debtload of $27,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $280.
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Lawrence Technological University landed the #16 spot in the 2021 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Located in the city of Southfield, Lawrence Tech is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Lawrence Tech take out is $27,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $280.
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With a ranking of #17, University of Florida did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. U of F is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Gainesville.
Design majors at U of F take out an average of $16,500 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $171.
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Advertising Art Educational Services DBA School of Advertising Art did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for design and applied arts students. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in the city of Kettering, Advertising Art Educational Services DBA School of Advertising Art is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
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Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Located in the city of Boston, Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
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Taylor University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Located in the town of Upland, Taylor U is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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The University of Texas at Austin ranked #21 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools list. UT Austin is a very large public school located in the city of Austin.
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With a ranking of #22, Clemson University did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. Clemson is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Clemson.
While working on their degree, design majors at Clemson accumulate an average of around $23,000 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $239.
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Alexandria Technical & Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for design and applied arts students. It came in at #23 on the list. ATCC is a small public school located in the remote town of Alexandria.
Design majors at ATCC take out an average of $12,000 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $125.
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Art Center College of Design landed the #24 spot in the 2021 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Located in the midsize city of Pasadena, Art Center College of Design is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, design graduates from Art Center College of Design carry an average student debtload of $31,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $322.
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Texas Christian University landed the #25 spot in the 2021 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Located in the large city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
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Additional Award Winners
This section represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Design & Applied Arts Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 391 different United States design and applied arts schools we analyzed.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick | New Brunswick, NJ |
| 52 | Lindenwood University | Saint Charles, MO |
| 53 | Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL |
| 54 | Bradley University | Peoria, IL |
| 55 | University of California - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 56 | University of Houston | Houston, TX |
| 57 | University of Nebraska - Lincoln | Lincoln, NE |
| 58 | North Dakota State University - Main Campus | Fargo, ND |
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Design & Applied Arts Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 59 | Seattle Pacific University | Seattle, WA |
| 60 | Century College | White Bear Lake, MN |
| 61 | Washington State University | Pullman, WA |
| 62 | University of California - Davis | Davis, CA |
| 63 | Saint Cloud State University | Saint Cloud, MN |
| 64 | Maryville University of Saint Louis | Saint Louis, MO |
| 65 | University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, IA |
| 66 | West Texas A&M University | Canyon, TX |
| 67 | Northwestern University | Evanston, IL |
| 68 | Pennsylvania State University - University Park | University Park, PA |
| 69 | Fashion Institute of Technology | New York, NY |
| 70 | University of Kansas | Lawrence, KS |
| 71 | George Washington University | Washington, DC |
| 72 | Susquehanna University | Selinsgrove, PA |
| 73 | University of Kentucky | Lexington, KY |
| 74 | Texas A&M University - Commerce | Commerce, TX |
| 75 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | Shippensburg, PA |
| 76 | Ball State University | Muncie, IN |
| 77 | SUNY Oneonta | Oneonta, NY |
| 78 | Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI |
Design & Applied Arts by Region
View the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
Rankings in Majors Related to Design
Design & Applied Arts is one of 9 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Design
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 40,751 |
| Music | 26,968 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 17,726 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 16,756 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 5,720 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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