2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia
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.
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 Virginia
The following schools top our list of the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges.
Top 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools
Our analysis found Virginia Tech to be the best school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a degree in Virginia. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the small 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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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Marymount University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia list. Marymount is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Arlington.
After completing their degree, design graduates from Marymount carry an average student debtload of $30,375.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Regent University is a great place for design and applied arts students. Located in the large city of Virginia Beach, Regent is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia list. GMU is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Fairfax.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Radford University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia list. Located in the small suburb of Radford, Radford is a public school with a moderately-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 very large public school located in the 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.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University Report
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Liberty University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the small 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.
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Northern Virginia Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia ranking. Located in the large suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a public school with a fairly 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.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Northern Virginia Community College Report
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Tidewater Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia list. Located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk, Tidewater Community College is a public school 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.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Tidewater Community College Report
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The Art Institute of Virginia Beach 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. Located in the city of Virginia Beach, Ai Virginia Beach is a private for-profit school with a 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.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at The Art Institute of Virginia Beach
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 |
| 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 Virginia
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 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.