2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts 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. 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. This report analyzed 59 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
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 Schools in the Far Western US Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges.
Top 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Gnomon the best school in the Far Western US Region for design and applied arts students. Gnomon is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Hollywood.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Gnomon take out is $41,000.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Gnomon Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public college with a fairly large student population.
On average, design graduates from UW Seattle take out $13,702 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Washington - Seattle Campus Report
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The excellent programs at University of California - Davis helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in the Far Western US Region . UC Davis is a very large public school located in the small suburb of Davis.
Design majors at UC Davis take out an average of $15,357 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $319.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of California - Los Angeles is a great place for design and applied arts students. UCLA is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at UCLA take out is $16,500.
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 #5 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region list. San Jose State is a very large public school located in the large city of San Jose.
Full Design & Applied Arts at San Jose State University Report
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Chapman University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Located in the city of Orange, Chapman is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
After completing their degree, design graduates from Chapman carry an average student debtload of $22,030.
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Cogswell College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Cogswell is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of San Jose.
While working on their degree, design majors at Cogswell accumulate an average of around $31,000 in student debt.
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Washington State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Wazzu is a fairly large public school located in the town of Pullman.
Design majors at Wazzu take out an average of $24,191 in student loans while working on their egree.
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University of San Francisco landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Located in the city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
On average, design graduates from USFCA take out $25,374 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of San Francisco Report
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With a ranking of #10, Otis College of Art and Design did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Otis College of Art and Design is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Otis College of Art and Design take out is $27,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $711.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Otis College of Art and Design Report
Request InformationBest Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State
Explore the best design and applied arts schools for a specific state in the Far Western US region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| California | 3,773 |
| Washington | 532 |
| Oregon | 490 |
| Nevada | 110 |
| Hawaii | 19 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in the Far Western US 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.
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.