2023 Most Popular Online Design & Applied Arts Schools
Finding the Most Popular Online 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Most Popular Online Design & Applied Arts Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 77 schools in the United States to see which online programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from schools with online programs.
Featured Design 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.
2023 Most Popular Online Design & Applied Arts Schools in the United States
Check out the online design programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in the United States.
Top 15% Most Popular Online Design & Applied Arts Schools
Our analysis found Southern New Hampshire University to be the most popular school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue an online degree in the United States. Located in the midsize suburb of Manchester, SNHU is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, design majors at SNHU accumulate an average of around $32,500 in student debt.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Southern New Hampshire University Report
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Out of the 77 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Wake Technical Community College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Wake Technical Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Raleigh.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Wake Technical Community College take out is $12,411.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Wake Technical Community College Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Columbus State Community College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Online Design & Applied Arts Schools list. Located in the city of Columbus, Columbus State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Full Sail University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Online Design & Applied Arts Schools list. Located in the suburb of Winter Park, Full Sail University is a private for-profit school with a very large student population.
Design majors at Full Sail University take out an average of $36,689 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $274, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Out of the 77 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design landed the # 5 spot on the list. RMCAD is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Lakewood.
On average, design graduates from RMCAD take out $44,406 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $420.
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Chattahoochee Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for design and applied arts students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Marietta, Chattahoochee Technical College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Chattahoochee Technical College Report
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With a ranking of #7, New York School of Interior Design did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. NYSID is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
Full Design & Applied Arts at New York School of Interior Design Report
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With a ranking of #8, Academy of Art University did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. Located in the large city of San Francisco, Academy of Art University is a private for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
Design majors at Academy of Art University take out an average of $33,391 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $719, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Academy of Art University Report
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Liberty University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Located in the small city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Liberty University take out is $25,833. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $432.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Liberty University
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Central Georgia Technical College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Online Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. CGTC is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Warner Robins.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Central Georgia Technical College Report
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Sessions College for Professional Design landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Located in the midsize city of Tempe, Sessions College is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, design majors at Sessions College accumulate an average of around $19,864 in student debt.
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These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Online Design & Applied Arts Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | The Modern College of Design | Kettering, OH |
| 12 | Berkeley College - Woodland Park | Woodland Park, NJ |
| 14 | Grand Canyon University | Phoenix, AZ |
| 15 | Bellevue University | Bellevue, NE |
Most Popular Online Design & Applied Arts by Region
View the Most Popular Online Design & Applied Arts Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
Other Related Design 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.
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.
- 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.