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Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia

2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia

10 Colleges
$31,842 Avg Salary
$26,331 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You

With 889 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, design and applied arts is the #43 most popular major in Virginia.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 10 schools in Virginia to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia

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

Top 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools

#1

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

Our 2023 rankings named Virginia Tech the best school in Virginia for design and applied arts students. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.

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

Full Design & Applied Arts at Virginia Tech Report

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#2

Marymount University

Arlington, VA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Marymount University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia list. Marymount is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Arlington.

After completing their degree, design graduates from Marymount carry an average student debtload of $30,375.

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#3

Regent University

Virginia Beach, VA

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

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#4

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend George Mason University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia list. GMU is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Fairfax.

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#5

Radford University

Radford, VA

Out of the 10 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Radford University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the small suburb of Radford, Radford is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

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

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With a ranking of #6, Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. VCU is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Richmond.

The average amount in student loans that design majors at VCU take out is $26,274. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $280.

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#7

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA

Liberty University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia ranking. Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg.

While working on their degree, design majors at Liberty University accumulate an average of around $25,833 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $432, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Liberty University Report

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Northern Virginia Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia list. Located in the large suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a public school with a very large student population.

Design majors at Northern Virginia Community College take out an average of $21,281 in student loans while working on their egree.

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Tidewater Community College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk, Tidewater Community College is a public college with a large student population.

On average, design graduates from Tidewater Community College take out $9,950 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#10

The Art Institute of Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach, VA

The Art Institute of Virginia Beach landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Located in the large city of Virginia Beach, Ai Virginia Beach is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

While working on their degree, design majors at Ai Virginia Beach accumulate an average of around $42,822 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $381, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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Best 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
North Carolina 944
Florida 1,128
Tennessee 296
Kentucky 84
South Carolina 316
Louisiana 84
Arkansas 228
Alabama 246
Mississippi 81
West Virginia 114

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

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 10 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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