2026 Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools
There are 1,237 colleges that offer a degree in Design & Applied Arts. Learn more about the most popular schools below:
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which Design & Applied Arts program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendance, there are many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience.
The Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 1,237 schools in the United States offering Design & Applied Arts programs. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.
Featured schools near , edit
2026 Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools.
Top 25 Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools
The most popular school in the United States for Design & Applied Arts students is Fashion Institute of Technology. Fashion Institute of Technology is a public school located in New York, NY. This school awarded 1,404 degrees in Design & Applied Arts in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $32,277. Full Design & Applied Arts at Fashion Institute of Technology Report
Savannah College of Art and Design comes in at #2 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Design & Applied Arts majors. Located in Savannah, GA, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 806 people earned their degree in Design & Applied Arts from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $25,862. Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Savannah College of Art and Design
Southern New Hampshire University landed the #3 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Southern New Hampshire University is a private nonprofit school located in Manchester, NH. This school awarded 803 degrees in Design & Applied Arts in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $54,644. Full Design & Applied Arts at Southern New Hampshire University Report
The New School landed the #4 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. The New School is a private nonprofit school located in New York, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 631 people earned their degree in Design & Applied Arts from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $26,730. Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at The New School
Central Piedmont Community College comes in at #5 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Design & Applied Arts majors. Central Piedmont Community College is a public school located in Charlotte, NC. During the most recent year for which we have data, 626 people earned their degree in Design & Applied Arts from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $37,962. Full Design & Applied Arts at Central Piedmont Community College Report
Pratt Institute-Main comes in at #6 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Design & Applied Arts majors. Located in Brooklyn, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 503 degrees in Design & Applied Arts in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $29,447. Full Design & Applied Arts at Pratt Institute-Main Report
Full Sail University landed the #7 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Full Sail University is a private for-profit school located in Winter Park, FL. This school awarded 497 degrees in Design & Applied Arts in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $26,076. Full Design & Applied Arts at Full Sail University Report
Wake Technical Community College landed the #8 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Located in Raleigh, NC, this is a public institution. This school awarded 481 degrees in Design & Applied Arts in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $38,942. Read More…
Utah Valley University comes in at #9 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Design & Applied Arts majors. Utah Valley University is a public school located in Orem, UT. During the most recent year for which we have data, 460 people earned their degree in Design & Applied Arts from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,225. Full Design & Applied Arts at Utah Valley University Report
NUC University landed the #10 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Located in Bayamon, PR, this is a private for-profit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 396 people earned their degree in Design & Applied Arts from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $18,183. Read More…
Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #11 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Virginia Commonwealth University is a public school located in Richmond, VA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 365 people earned their degree in Design & Applied Arts from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $41,934. Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Visual Arts landed the #12 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. School of Visual Arts is a private for-profit school located in New York, NY. During the most recent year for which we have data, 328 people earned their degree in Design & Applied Arts from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $23,488. Read More…
Collin County Community College District comes in at #13 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Design & Applied Arts majors. Located in McKinney, TX, this is a public institution. This school awarded 298 degrees in Design & Applied Arts in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $39,890. Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Collin County Community College District
Kent State University at Kent comes in at #14 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Design & Applied Arts majors. Kent State University at Kent is a public school located in Kent, OH. This school awarded 297 degrees in Design & Applied Arts in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,674. Read More…
Columbia College Chicago comes in at #15 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Design & Applied Arts majors. Columbia College Chicago is a private nonprofit school located in Chicago, IL. During the most recent year for which we have data, 294 people earned their degree in Design & Applied Arts from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $24,908. Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Columbia College Chicago
Liberty University landed the #16 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Located in Lynchburg, VA, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 292 people earned their degree in Design & Applied Arts from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $44,414. Read More…
University of California-Davis landed the #17 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Located in Davis, CA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 291 people earned their degree in Design & Applied Arts from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $41,123. Read More…
FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising comes in at #18 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Design & Applied Arts majors. FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is a private for-profit school located in Los Angeles, CA. This school awarded 288 degrees in Design & Applied Arts in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $28,643. Read More…
Ana G. Mendez University landed the #19 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Located in Orlando, FL, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 282 degrees in Design & Applied Arts in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,669. Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Ana G. Mendez University
Maryland Institute College of Art comes in at #20 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Design & Applied Arts majors. Located in Baltimore, MD, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 282 people earned their degree in Design & Applied Arts from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $23,881. Read More…
Iowa State University landed the #21 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Iowa State University is a public school located in Ames, IA. This school awarded 263 degrees in Design & Applied Arts in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $50,667. Read More…
Columbus State Community College comes in at #22 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Design & Applied Arts majors. Columbus State Community College is a public school located in Columbus, OH. This school awarded 262 degrees in Design & Applied Arts in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $40,669. Full Design & Applied Arts at Columbus State Community College Report
Brigham Young University-Idaho landed the #23 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Brigham Young University-Idaho is a private nonprofit school located in Rexburg, ID. During the most recent year for which we have data, 256 people earned their degree in Design & Applied Arts from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $40,371. Read More…
Arizona State University Campus Immersion landed the #24 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Arizona State University Campus Immersion is a public school located in Tempe, AZ. During the most recent year for which we have data, 231 people earned their degree in Design & Applied Arts from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $48,210. Full Design & Applied Arts at Arizona State University Campus Immersion Report
Art Center College of Design landed the #25 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Located in Pasadena, CA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 230 degrees in Design & Applied Arts in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $46,662. Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Art Center College of Design
Rest of the Top Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for this major that just missed the list above.
Design & Applied Arts by Region
View the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| New England |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Great Lakes |
| Plains States |
| Southeast |
| Southwest |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Far Western US |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Majors Related to Design & Applied Arts
Design & Applied Arts Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Graphic Design | 10,676 |
| Visual Communications | 6,186 |
| Interior Design | 5,651 |
| Illustration | 3,192 |
| Fashion Design | 3,186 |
| Commercial & Advertising Art | 2,987 |
| Game & Interactive Media Design | 2,986 |
| Other Design & Applied Arts | 1,640 |
| Industrial Design | 1,395 |
| Commercial Photography | 899 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 37,770 |
| Music | 25,853 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 18,927 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 16,640 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 7,225 |
References
*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.