2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's 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.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 67 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.
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 the Middle Atlantic Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for design majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.
Top 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Carnegie Mellon University to be the best school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the Middle Atlantic Region . Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in the Middle Atlantic Region . Located in the small city of Troy, RPI is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Pennsylvania Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Delaware. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. UD is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Newark.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Delaware Report
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at New Jersey Institute of Technology helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in the Middle Atlantic Region . Located in the city of Newark, NJIT is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at New Jersey Institute of Technology
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Millersville University of Pennsylvania ranked #6 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Millersville is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Millersville.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Millersville University of Pennsylvania Report
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Messiah University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree design and applied arts programs. Messiah is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Mechanicsburg.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Messiah University
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American University 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. The American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Washington.
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Syracuse University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Syracuse is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Syracuse.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, design majors at Syracuse accumulate an average of around $25,709 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $532.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Syracuse University Report
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With a ranking of #10, George Washington University did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at George Washington University
Request InformationHonorable 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 Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 12 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick | New Brunswick, NJ |
| 13 | York College of Pennsylvania | York, PA |
Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State
Explore the best design and applied arts colleges for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 1,238 |
| New York | 4,391 |
| Maryland | 617 |
| New Jersey | 532 |
| District of Columbia | 84 |
| Delaware | 59 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in the Middle Atlantic Region
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.
Majors Similar 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.