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Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan

2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan

15 Colleges
$32,886 Avg Salary
$24,874 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You

With 1,011 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, design and applied arts is the #28 most popular major in Michigan.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 15 schools in Michigan to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan

The following schools top our list of the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges.

Top 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Lawrence Technological University the best school in Michigan for design and applied arts students. Lawrence Tech is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Southfield.

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#2

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

Out of the 15 schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Michigan State is a fairly large public school located in the city of East Lansing.

Design majors at Michigan State take out an average of $29,812 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $433, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan list. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public college with a fairly large student population.

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means College for Creative Studies is a great place for design and applied arts students. Located in the city of Detroit, CCS is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, design graduates from CCS take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $594, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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Out of the 15 schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Macomb Community College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Macomb Community College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Warren.

On average, design graduates from Macomb Community College take out $9,255 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Macomb Community College Report

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#6

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, MI

Spring Arbor University 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 suburb of Spring Arbor, Spring Arbor is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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#7

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, MI

Central Michigan University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Central Michigan is a large public school located in the distant town of Mount Pleasant.

While working on their degree, design majors at Central Michigan accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $296, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Central Michigan University Report

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#8

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI

Ferris State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for design and applied arts students. It came in at #8 on the list. Ferris is a large public school located in the town of Big Rapids.

After completing their degree, design graduates from Ferris carry an average student debtload of $27,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $235.

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Western Michigan University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan list. WMU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Kalamazoo.

Design majors at WMU take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#10

Cranbrook Academy of Art

Bloomfield Hills, MI

Cranbrook Academy of Art did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for design and applied arts students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the suburb of Bloomfield Hills, Carnbrook Academy is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Ohio 1,456
Illinois 979
Indiana 417
Wisconsin 717

Design & Applied Arts is one of 10 different types of programs to choose from.

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 15 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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