2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Plains States Region
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You
Design & Applied Arts is the #36 most popular major in the country with 36,301 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 the Plains States Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 38 schools in the Plains States 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 Plains States Region
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 Dakota State University - Main Campus the best school in the Plains States Region for design and applied arts students. Located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public school with a fairly large student population.
On average, design graduates from North Dakota State University take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at North Dakota State University - Main Campus
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The excellent programs at Luther College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in the Plains States Region . Luther is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Decorah.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Luther College Report
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Out of the 38 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, design graduates from WUSTL carry an average student debtload of $15,808.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Washington University in St Louis Report
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Out of the 38 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Drake University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Des Moines, Drake is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Drake University
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Alexandria Technical & Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Plains States Region list. ATCC is a small public school located in the town of Alexandria.
Design majors at ATCC take out an average of $12,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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University of South Dakota came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the distant town of Vermillion, USD is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
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Bemidji State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Bemidji State University is a small public school located in the remote town of Bemidji.
On average, design graduates from Bemidji State University take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Bemidji State University
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Iowa State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Plains States Region list. Iowa State is a very large public school located in the city of Ames.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Iowa State take out is $27,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $262.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Iowa State University Report
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University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #9 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at UMN Twin Cities take out is $22,975. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $298.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Report
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Bellevue University 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 large suburb of Bellevue, Bellevue University is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
Design majors at Bellevue University take out an average of $29,510 in student loans while working on their egree.
Request InformationBest Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State
Explore the best design and applied arts schools for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Missouri | 432 |
| Minnesota | 533 |
| Kansas | 229 |
| Iowa | 481 |
| Nebraska | 223 |
| North Dakota | 36 |
| South Dakota | 57 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in the Plains States 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.
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 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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