2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 35 schools in California to see which bachelor's 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 Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Colleges.
Top 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of California - Davis the best school in California for design and applied arts students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public school with a very large student population.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, design majors at UC Davis accumulate an average of around $15,187 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $319.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Design majors at UCLA take out an average of $16,210 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of California - Los Angeles
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Chapman University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in California. Chapman is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Orange.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Chapman take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $20,865.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cogswell College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the city of San Jose, Cogswell is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Cogswell take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $31,307.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Cogswell College Report
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Otis College of Art and Design landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree design and applied arts programs. Otis College of Art and Design is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $711.
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With a ranking of #7, University of San Francisco did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students working on their bachelor’s degree. USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco.
Design majors at USFCA take out an average of $22,333 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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Art Center College of Design did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for design and applied arts students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Pasadena.
On average, design graduates from Art Center College of Design take out $35,062 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $878.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Art Center College of Design Report
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University of Southern California came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. USC is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
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California State University - Long Beach came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public college with a very large student population.
On average, design graduates from CSULB take out $21,064 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Request InformationBest Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 532 |
| Oregon | 490 |
| Nevada | 110 |
| Hawaii | 19 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in California
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.
Design & Applied Arts Related Rankings by Major
Design & Applied Arts is one of 10 different types of programs to choose from.
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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