2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Washington
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You
With 532 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, design and applied arts is the #33 most popular major in Washington.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. 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 Schools in Washington to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 13 schools in Washington 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 Washington
The following schools top our list of the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges.
Top 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of Washington - Seattle Campus the best school in Washington for design and applied arts students. UW Seattle is a very large public school located in the city of Seattle.
Design majors at UW Seattle take out an average of $13,702 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Washington list. Located in the town of Pullman, Wazzu is a public school with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, design majors at Wazzu accumulate an average of around $24,191 in student debt.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Washington State University Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Washington University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Washington list. Located in the city of Bellingham, WWU is a public school with a large student population.
While working on their degree, design majors at WWU accumulate an average of around $22,986 in student debt.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Seattle Pacific University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Washington list. Located in the city of Seattle, SPU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Design majors at SPU take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Cornish College of the Arts is a great place for design and applied arts students. Cornish College of the Arts is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Seattle.
While working on their degree, design majors at Cornish College of the Arts accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Cornish College of the Arts Report
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Central Washington University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Washington ranking. CWU is a large public school located in the town of Ellensburg.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Central Washington University Report
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Seattle University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Washington ranking. Seattle U is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Seattle.
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With a ranking of #8, Spokane Falls Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. Located in the medium-sized city of Spokane, Spokane Falls Community College is a public college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, design majors at Spokane Falls Community College accumulate an average of around $14,193 in student debt.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Spokane Falls Community College Report
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Bellevue College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Washington ranking. Located in the city of Bellevue, BC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Bellevue College
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Walla Walla University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Washington list. Walla Walla U is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small suburb of College Place.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Walla Walla U take out is $31,000.
Request InformationBest Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| California | 3,773 |
| Oregon | 490 |
| Nevada | 110 |
| Hawaii | 19 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in Washington
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 13 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.