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Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in New York

2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in New York

40 Colleges
$30,453 Avg Salary
$20,127 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You

With 4,391 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, design and applied arts is the #16 most popular major in New York.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best 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.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in New York ranking. Our analysis looked at 40 schools in New York to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in New York

The colleges and universities below are the best for design majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute the best school in New York for design and applied arts students. RPI is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Troy.

On average, design graduates from RPI take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Report

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#2

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY

The excellent programs at Syracuse University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in New York. Located in the midsize city of Syracuse, Syracuse is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that design majors at Syracuse take out is $27,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $532.

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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Finger Lakes Community College is a great place for design and applied arts students. Finger Lakes Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Canandaigua.

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#4

Marist College

Poughkeepsie, NY

Out of the 40 schools in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, Marist College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie, Marist is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that design majors at Marist take out is $26,359.

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The excellent programs at Rochester Institute of Technology helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in New York. Located in the suburb of Rochester, RIT is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

Design majors at RIT take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $423, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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With a ranking of #6, Fashion Institute of Technology did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. FIT SUNY is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of New York.

Design majors at FIT SUNY take out an average of $19,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $288.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Fashion Institute of Technology Report

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#7

Pratt Institute - Main

Brooklyn, NY

Pratt Institute - Main came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in New York ranking. Pratt Institute is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Brooklyn.

While working on their degree, design majors at Pratt Institute accumulate an average of around $19,000 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $891.

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#8

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, NY

SUNY Oneonta 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. SUNY Oneonta is a medium-sized public school located in the remote town of Oneonta.

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#9

The New School

New York, NY

The New School landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Located in the city of New York, New School University is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

Design majors at New School University take out an average of $23,000 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $775, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Design & Applied Arts at The New School Report

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#10

LIM College

New York, NY

LIM College 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. LIM is a small private for-profit school located in the city of New York.

While working on their degree, design majors at LIM accumulate an average of around $26,915 in student debt.

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Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 1,238
Maryland 617
New Jersey 532
District of Columbia 84
Delaware 59

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

Majors Similar 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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