2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts Master'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.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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 Master's Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 98 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best master's degree programs for students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.
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 Master’s Degree Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Colleges.
Top 15% Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools
Our analysis found University of Notre Dame to be the best school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the United States. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Notre Dame Report
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Illinois Institute of Technology
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Report
Request Information
The excellent master’s degree programs at Carnegie Mellon University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in the United States. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. UT Austin is a very large public school located in the city of Austin.
Request Information
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for design and applied arts students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the small city of Troy, RPI is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
Request Information
American University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. The American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington.
Request Information
Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Purdue is a fairly large public school located in the small city of West Lafayette.
Request Information
Northwestern University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Northwestern University
Request Information
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. OSU is a very large public school located in the distant town of Stillwater.
Request Information
With a ranking of #11, Clemson University did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students working on their master’s degree. Clemson is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Clemson.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Clemson University Report
Request Information
University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for design and applied arts students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Request Information
Boston University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Boston U is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Boston.
Request Information
University of Delaware ranked #14 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. UD is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Newark.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Delaware
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 Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | University of Wisconsin - Stout | Menomonie, WI |
| 16 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA |
| 17 | Syracuse University | Syracuse, NY |
| 18 | University of Kentucky | Lexington, KY |
| 19 | Washington University in St Louis | Saint Louis, MO |
Design & Applied Arts by Region
View the Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
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.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.