2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree School for You
Design & Applied Arts is the #36 most popular major in the country with 36,301 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 109 schools in the United States 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.
Featured Design & Applied Arts Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts
Translate your creative ideas through concept, design and digital media with a bachelor's in graphic design online from Southern New Hampshire University.
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.
Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the United States
Check out the design associate degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 15% Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools
Our analysis found Madison Area Technical College to be the best school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a associate degree in the United States. Located in the large city of Madison, Madison College is a public school with a large student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at Madison College accumulate an average of around $19,387 in student debt.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means The Modern College of Design is a great place for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the small city of Kettering, The Modern College of Design is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, design graduates from The Modern College of Design take out $8,516 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $279.
Full Design & Applied Arts at The Modern College of Design Report
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The excellent associate degree programs at Alexandria Technical & Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in the United States. ATCC is a small public school located in the remote town of Alexandria.
After completing their Associate Degree, design graduates from ATCC carry an average student debtload of $14,460.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of South Dakota. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the distant town of Vermillion, USD is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Waukesha County Technical College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the large suburb of Pewaukee, WCTC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at WCTC take out while working on their Associate Degree is $18,801.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Waukesha County Technical College
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Scottsdale Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the rural area of Scottsdale, Scottsdale Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
On average, design graduates from Scottsdale Community College take out $14,221 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Scottsdale Community College Report
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The New School came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. New School University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.
After completing their Associate Degree, design graduates from New School University carry an average student debtload of $23,193.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at The New School
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Arapahoe Community College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree design and applied arts programs. Arapahoe Community College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Littleton.
While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at Arapahoe Community College accumulate an average of around $23,598 in student debt.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Arapahoe Community College Report
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With a ranking of #9, Bismarck State College did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. BSC is a small public school located in the city of Bismarck.
On average, design graduates from BSC take out $12,189 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Collin County Community College District ranked #10 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Collin County Community College District is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of McKinney.
On average, design graduates from Collin County Community College District take out $14,236 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Johnson County Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the midsize city of Overland Park, JCCC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their Associate Degree, design graduates from JCCC carry an average student debtload of $14,972.
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Interior Designers Institute landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree design and applied arts programs. Interior Designers Institute is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of Newport Beach.
While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at Interior Designers Institute accumulate an average of around $22,905 in student debt.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Interior Designers Institute Report
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Sessions College for Professional Design ranked #13 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the midsize city of Tempe, Sessions College is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Sessions College for Professional Design Report
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Macomb Community 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 #14 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Warren, Macomb Community College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
On average, design graduates from Macomb Community College take out $10,363 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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With a ranking of #15, Finger Lakes Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the rural area of Canandaigua, Finger Lakes Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
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Metropolitan Community College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree design and applied arts programs. Located in the large city of Omaha, MCC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
On average, design graduates from MCC take out $13,937 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Metropolitan Community College Report
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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 Associate Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Milwaukee Area Technical College | Milwaukee, WI |
| 18 | School Removed | |
| 19 | Century College | White Bear Lake, MN |
| 20 | FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 21 | Western Technical College | La Crosse, WI |
Design & Applied Arts by Region
View the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
Related Programs
Learn about other programs related to Design & Applied Arts that might interest you.
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.
Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Get on the right path to the fast-paced, exciting world of video game art and design with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
Rankings in Majors Related to Design
One of 10 majors within the area of study, design and applied arts has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Design
| 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 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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