2023 Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree 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. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
The Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 104 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which associate degree programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Design & Applied Arts program at each school on the list.
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 Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region
The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Colleges.
Top 15% Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools
Our analysis found FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles to be the most popular school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a associate degree in the Far Western US Region . Located in the large city of Los Angeles, FIDM Los Angeles is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
Women make up 79% of the design majors at the school.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at FIDM Los Angeles take out while working on their Associate Degree is $16,621. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $491.
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Out of the 104 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Portland Community College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Portland Community College is a very large public school located in the large city of Portland.
Women make up 64% of the design majors at the school.
After completing their Associate Degree, design graduates from Portland Community College carry an average student debt load of $23,904.
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Out of the 104 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Santa Monica College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the city of Santa Monica, SMC is a public college with a very large student population.
Of the 61 students majoring in design at SMC, 25% are male and 75% are female.
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The in-demand associate degree programs at Seattle Central College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular design and applied arts schools in the Far Western US Region . Seattle Central is a small public school located in the city of Seattle.
About 74% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 26% are male.
On average, design graduates from Seattle Central take out $13,099 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Seattle Central College
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Sierra College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Sierra College is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Rocklin.
Women make up 71% of the design majors at the school.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Sierra College Report
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College of Southern Nevada landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree design and applied arts programs. Located in the city of Las Vegas, CSN is a public school with a very large student population.
Of the 41 students majoring in design at CSN, 39% are male and 61% are female.
After completing their Associate Degree, design graduates from CSN carry an average student debt load of $13,029.
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Interior Designers Institute ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Interior Designers Institute is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Newport Beach.
Of the 38 students majoring in design at Interior Designers Institute, 8% are male and 92% are female.
While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at Interior Designers Institute accumulate an average of around $22,905 in student debt.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Interior Designers Institute Report
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Spokane Falls Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Spokane Falls Community College is a small public school located in the midsize city of Spokane.
Of the 37 students majoring in design at Spokane Falls Community College, 24% are male and 76% are female.
While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at Spokane Falls Community College accumulate an average of around $15,308 in student debt.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Spokane Falls Community College Report
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Platt College - San Diego ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Platt College - San Diego is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of San Diego.
Women make up 42% of the design majors at the school.
Design majors at Platt College - San Diego take out an average of $18,038 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $112.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Platt College - San Diego
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West Valley College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree design and applied arts programs. West Valley College is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Saratoga.
About 93% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 7% are male.
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Bellevue College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree design and applied arts programs. BC is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Bellevue.
Women make up 90% of the design majors at the school.
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Palomar College ranked #12 on this year’s Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Palomar College is a large public school located in the large suburb of San Marcos.
Of the 27 students majoring in design at Palomar College, 22% are male and 78% are female.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Palomar College Report
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With a ranking of #12, San Diego Mesa College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. San Diego Mesa College is a large public school located in the city of San Diego.
Of the 27 students majoring in design at San Diego Mesa College, 15% are male and 85% are female.
Full Design & Applied Arts at San Diego Mesa College Report
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Los Angeles Trade Technical College landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree design and applied arts programs. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Of the 25 students majoring in design at Los Angeles Trade Technical College, 24% are male and 76% are female.
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Here are some additional popular schools for Design & Applied Arts students in the Far Western US Region that almost earned our Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Foothill College | Los Altos Hills, CA |
| 17 | American River College | Sacramento, CA |
| 17 | Mt. San Antonio College | Walnut, CA |
| 17 | Mt. Hood Community College | Gresham, OR |
| 20 | San Diego City College | San Diego, CA |
| 20 | San Joaquin Delta College | Stockton, CA |
| 20 | Mt. San Jacinto College | San Jacinto, CA |
| 20 | College of the Canyons | Santa Clarita, CA |
Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State
Explore the best design and applied arts colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| California | 3,773 |
| Washington | 532 |
| Oregon | 490 |
| Nevada | 110 |
| Hawaii | 19 |
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 26 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.
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