2023 Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree School for You
With 3,773 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, design and applied arts is the #34 most popular major in California.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 52 schools in California to see which bachelor's 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 Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California
Check out the design bachelor's degree programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in California.
Top 10 Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Art Center College of Design to be the most popular school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in California. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Pasadena.
About 71% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 29% are male.
On average, design graduates from Art Center College of Design take out $35,062 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $878.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of California - Davis is a great place for design and applied arts students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Women make up 79% of the design majors at the school.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, design majors at UC Davis accumulate an average of around $15,187 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $319.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of California - Davis Report
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Out of the 52 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public school with a very large student population.
About 62% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 38% are male.
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The in-demand bachelor’s degree programs at San Francisco State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular design and applied arts schools in California. SFSU is a fairly large public school located in the large city of San Francisco.
About 60% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 40% are male.
Design majors at SFSU take out an average of $19,788 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $378, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at San Francisco State University
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means California State University - Chico is a great place for design and applied arts students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the medium-sized city of Chico, Chico State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Of the 143 students majoring in design at Chico State, 65% are male and 35% are female.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, design graduates from Chico State carry an average student debt load of $18,522.
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With a ranking of #6, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for design and applied arts students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public college with a fairly large student population.
About 65% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 35% are male.
Design majors at CSULB take out an average of $21,064 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
Full Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Long Beach Report
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Otis College of Art and Design ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Otis College of Art and Design is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
About 61% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 39% are male.
For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $711.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Otis College of Art and Design Report
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California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree design and applied arts programs. Cal Poly Pomona is a very large public school located in the suburb of Pomona.
Women make up 55% of the design majors at the school.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Cal Poly Pomona take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $19,547.
Full Design & Applied Arts at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Report
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University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a large public school located in the small city of Santa Cruz.
Of the 108 students majoring in design at UC Santa Cruz, 60% are male and 40% are female.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at UC Santa Cruz take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $23,170.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of California - Santa Cruz
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Laguna College of Art and Design did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for design and applied arts students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. LCAD is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Laguna Beach.
Women make up 64% of the design majors at the school.
This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $512, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Laguna College of Art and Design Report
Request InformationBest Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| 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.
Design & Applied Arts Related Majors
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 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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