2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southeast Region
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You
Out of all the majors we analyze each year, design and applied arts was ranked #36 in the country. In fact 36,301 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
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 the Southeast Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 90 schools in the Southeast Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences 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 the Southeast Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges.
Top 15% Best Design & Applied Arts Schools
Our 2023 rankings named The Creative Circus the best school in the Southeast Region for design and applied arts students. The Creative Circus is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of Atlanta.
On average, design graduates from The Creative Circus take out $28,334 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Design & Applied Arts at The Creative Circus Report
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Miami Ad School at Portfolio Center is a great place for design and applied arts students. Located in the city of Atlanta, Miami Ad School at Portfolio Center is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Design majors at Miami Ad School at Portfolio Center take out an average of $25,250 in student loans while working on their egree.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Virginia Tech is a great place for design and applied arts students. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Virginia Tech take out is $27,000.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southeast Region list. Georgia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Atlanta.
While working on their degree, design majors at Georgia Tech accumulate an average of around $22,125 in student debt.
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The excellent programs at University of Florida helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in the Southeast Region . Located in the city of Gainesville, UF is a public school with a very large student population.
Design majors at UF take out an average of $19,842 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Florida Report
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Clemson University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the large suburb of Clemson, Clemson is a public college with a very large student population.
Design majors at Clemson take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $346.
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Harding University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for design and applied arts students. It came in at #7 on the list. Harding is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Searcy.
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University of Arkansas came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. UARK is a fairly large public school located in the city of Fayetteville.
After completing their degree, design graduates from UARK carry an average student debtload of $26,236.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Arkansas
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University of Kentucky came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. UK is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Lexington.
On average, design graduates from UK take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Kentucky Report
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Florida State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Florida State is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Tallahassee.
On average, design graduates from Florida State take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Florida State University Report
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Auburn University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Auburn is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Auburn.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Auburn take out is $25,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $618.
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North Carolina State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for design and applied arts students. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the city of Raleigh, NC State is a public school with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, design graduates from NC State carry an average student debtload of $23,954.
Full Design & Applied Arts at North Carolina State University Report
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The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for design and applied arts students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at UT Chattanooga take out is $27,000.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Design & Applied Arts students in the Southeast Region that almost earned our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Belmont University | Nashville, TN |
| 15 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville, TN |
| 16 | Tulane University of Louisiana | New Orleans, LA |
| 17 | Appalachian State University | Boone, NC |
| 18 | The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL |
Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State
Explore the best design and applied arts colleges for a specific state in the Southeast region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 1,446 |
| Virginia | 889 |
| North Carolina | 944 |
| Florida | 1,128 |
| Tennessee | 296 |
| Kentucky | 84 |
| South Carolina | 316 |
| Louisiana | 84 |
| Arkansas | 228 |
| Alabama | 246 |
| Mississippi | 81 |
| West Virginia | 114 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in the Southeast Region
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 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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