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Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California

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2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California

9 Colleges
$23,224 Avg Salary
$17,798 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree School for You

With 3,773 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, design and applied arts is the #34 most popular major in California.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 9 schools in California to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California

Check out the design associate degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top California Schools for an Associate in Design & Applied Arts

#1

Interior Designers Institute

Newport Beach, CA

Our 2023 rankings named Interior Designers Institute the best school in California for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the small city of Newport Beach, Interior Designers Institute is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

Design majors at Interior Designers Institute take out an average of $22,905 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Interior Designers Institute

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles is a great place for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. FIDM Los Angeles is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

After completing their Associate Degree, design graduates from FIDM Los Angeles carry an average student debtload of $16,621. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $491.

Read More…

#4

Platt College - San Diego

San Diego, CA

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Platt College - San Diego is a great place for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of San Diego, Platt College - San Diego is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Design majors at Platt College - San Diego take out an average of $18,038 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $112.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Platt College - San Diego

The excellent associate degree programs at Columbia College Hollywood helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in California. Columbia College Hollywood is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Tarzana.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Columbia College Hollywood

#6

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA

Academy of Art University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California list. Academy of Art University is a moderately-sized private for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco.

While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at Academy of Art University accumulate an average of around $32,177 in student debt.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Academy of Art University Report

Los Angeles Trade Technical College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Los Angeles Trade Technical College Report

#8

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, CA

San Diego Mesa College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for design and applied arts students to get a associate degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the city of San Diego, San Diego Mesa College is a public college with a large student population.

Full Design & Applied Arts at San Diego Mesa College Report

#9

New York Film Academy

Burbank, CA

New York Film Academy came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of Burbank, New York Film Academy is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Full Design & Applied Arts at New York Film Academy Report

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 532
Oregon 490
Nevada 110
Hawaii 19

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

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 37,413
Music 25,910
Drama & Theater Arts 17,341
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 16,778
General Visual & Performing Arts 6,355

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 9 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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