2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in North Carolina
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You
Design & Applied Arts is the #28 most popular major in North Carolina with 944 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in North Carolina ranking. Our analysis looked at 13 schools in North Carolina 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 North Carolina
The following schools top our list of the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges.
Top 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools
Our 2023 rankings named North Carolina State University the best school in North Carolina for design and applied arts students. NC State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Raleigh.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at NC State take out is $23,954.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at North Carolina State University
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Out of the 13 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Appalachian State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the distant town of Boone, Appalachian State is a public college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, design majors at Appalachian State accumulate an average of around $23,750 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $242.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means East Carolina University is a great place for design and applied arts students. Located in the small city of Greenville, ECU is a public school with a very large student population.
Design majors at ECU take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Design & Applied Arts at East Carolina University Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend High Point University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the medium-sized city of High Point, High Point is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
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Out of the 13 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Charlotte landed the # 5 spot on the list. UNC Charlotte is a fairly large public school located in the city of Charlotte.
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Meredith College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in North Carolina list. Meredith is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Raleigh.
On average, design graduates from Meredith take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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University of North Carolina at Greensboro came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in North Carolina ranking. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large public school located in the city of Greensboro.
On average, design graduates from UNC Greensboro take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of North Carolina at Greensboro
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Wake Technical Community College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Wake Technical Community College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Raleigh.
While working on their degree, design majors at Wake Technical Community College accumulate an average of around $12,411 in student debt.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Wake Technical Community College
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Western Carolina University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. WCU is a large public school located in the town of Cullowhee.
After completing their degree, design graduates from WCU carry an average student debtload of $26,738.
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Guilford Technical Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in North Carolina ranking. Guilford Technical Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of Jamestown.
Design majors at Guilford Technical Community College take out an average of $19,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Request InformationBest Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 1,446 |
| Virginia | 889 |
| 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 North Carolina
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 13 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.