2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts 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.
The Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 39 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges.
Top 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools
Our analysis found Gnomon to be the best school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the large city of Hollywood, Gnomon is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Gnomon take out is $41,000.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California list. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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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Out of the 39 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at UCLA take out is $16,500.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of California - Los Angeles Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California list. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chapman University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California list. Chapman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Orange.
After completing their degree, design graduates from Chapman carry an average student debtload of $22,030.
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Cogswell College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for design and applied arts students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of San Jose, Cogswell is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
While working on their degree, design majors at Cogswell accumulate an average of around $31,000 in student debt.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Cogswell College Report
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University of San Francisco came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California ranking. USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco.
On average, design graduates from USFCA take out $25,374 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Otis College of Art and Design came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California ranking. Otis College of Art and Design is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
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
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Art Center College of Design ranked #9 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California list. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pasadena.
While working on their degree, design majors at Art Center College of Design accumulate an average of around $31,000 in student debt. 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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With a ranking of #10, University of Southern California did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Design majors at USC take out an average of $18,275 in student loans while working on their egree.
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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
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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