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Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts

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2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts

15 Colleges
$34,757 Avg Salary
$26,491 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You

Design & Applied Arts is the #42 most popular major in Massachusetts with 887 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.

The Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 15 schools in Massachusetts to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts

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

Top 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools

#1

Boston University

Boston, MA

Our analysis found Boston University to be the best school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a degree in Massachusetts. Boston U is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston.

On average, design graduates from Boston U take out $25,500 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Boston University Report

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Wentworth Institute of Technology is a great place for design and applied arts students. Located in the city of Boston, WIT is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, design majors at WIT accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Wentworth Institute of Technology Report

The excellent programs at Northeastern University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in Massachusetts. Located in the city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that design majors at Northeastern take out is $26,750.

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#4

Endicott College

Beverly, MA

The excellent programs at Endicott College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in Massachusetts. Endicott is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Beverly.

After completing their degree, design graduates from Endicott carry an average student debtload of $27,000.

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#5

Suffolk University

Boston, MA

Out of the 15 schools in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, Suffolk University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Suffolk is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston.

The average amount in student loans that design majors at Suffolk take out is $27,000.

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Holyoke Community 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 suburb of Holyoke, Holyoke Community College is a public school with a small student population.

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Massachusetts College of Art and Design came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Located in the city of Boston, Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a public college with a small student population.

Design majors at Massachusetts College of Art and Design take out an average of $22,625 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $322.

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Springfield Technical Community College 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. Located in the city of Springfield, STCC is a public school with a small student population.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Springfield Technical Community College Report

University of Massachusetts - Lowell came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts ranking. UMass Lowell is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Lowell.

Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Massachusetts - Lowell Report

#10

Lesley University

Cambridge, MA

Lesley University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Lesley is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Cambridge.

The average amount in student loans that design majors at Lesley take out is $25,875. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $378, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Lesley University Report

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the New England Region

Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Connecticut 241
New Hampshire 456
Maine 24
Rhode Island 159
Vermont 99

One of 10 majors within the area of study, design and applied arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

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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