2023 Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree School for You
Out of all the majors we analyze each year, design and applied arts was ranked #36 in the country. In fact 36,301 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 126 schools in the Great Lakes Region 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 the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the most popular for design majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.
Top 15% Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Columbia College Chicago the most popular school in the Great Lakes Region for design and applied arts students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
Of the 271 students majoring in design at Columbia, 34% are male and 66% are female.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, design graduates from Columbia carry an average student debt load of $29,562. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $485.
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Out of the 126 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the # 2 spot on the list. UC is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Cincinnati.
About 78% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 22% are male.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at UC take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $24,382. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $365, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kent State University at Kent. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent State is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Kent.
Women make up 89% of the design majors at the school.
When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $322.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Kent State University at Kent Report
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Out of the 126 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, College for Creative Studies landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Detroit, CCS is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Women make up 57% of the design majors at the school.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at CCS take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $28,655. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $594, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Stout is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Menomonie.
Of the 132 students majoring in design at UW - Stout, 36% are male and 64% are female.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, design majors at UW - Stout accumulate an average of around $24,522 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $131, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Wisconsin - Stout Report
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Columbus 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 #6 on the list. Located in the large city of Columbus, CCAD is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
About 71% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 29% are male.
Design majors at CCAD take out an average of $29,443 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $510, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Columbus College of Art and Design
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Milwaukee Institute of Art & 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 #7 on the list. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, MIAD is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
About 74% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 26% are male.
The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $504, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
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Ferris State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ferris is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Big Rapids.
Women make up 75% of the design majors at the school.
On average, design graduates from Ferris take out $28,599 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $235.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Ferris State University Report
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a very large student population.
Of the 105 students majoring in design at UIUC, 36% are male and 64% are female.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, design majors at UIUC accumulate an average of around $21,307 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $501, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report
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Michigan State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan State is a very large public school located in the city of East Lansing.
Women make up 76% of the design majors at the school.
When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $433.
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DePaul University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
About 40% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 60% are male.
This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $537, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #12, Miami University - Oxford 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 fringe town of Oxford, Miami University - Oxford is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Of the 73 students majoring in design at Miami University - Oxford, 16% are male and 84% are female.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, design majors at Miami University - Oxford accumulate an average of around $21,408 in student debt.
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Central Michigan University landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree design and applied arts programs. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant.
Of the 69 students majoring in design at Central Michigan, 13% are male and 87% are female.
The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $296, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Central Michigan University
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University of Illinois at Chicago 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 #14 on the list. UIC is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Chicago.
Women make up 61% of the design majors at the school.
When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $295.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Illinois at Chicago Report
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Cleveland Institute of Art ranked #14 on this year’s Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large city of Cleveland, CIA is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Women make up 71% of the design majors at the school.
Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $591.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Cleveland Institute of Art Report
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Western Michigan University 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 #16 on the list. WMU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Kalamazoo.
About 80% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 20% are male.
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Oakland University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree design and applied arts programs. Located in the large suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland is a public college with a large student population.
About 57% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 43% are male.
The average amount in student loans that design majors at Oakland take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $29,429. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $241, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Oakland University
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Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree design and applied arts programs. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public school with a very large student population.
Of the 56 students majoring in design at Purdue, 30% are male and 70% are female.
Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $329.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Purdue University - Main Campus Report
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti, MI |
| 20 | Cedarville University | Cedarville, OH |
| 21 | Ohio State University - Main Campus | Columbus, OH |
| 22 | Bradley University | Peoria, IL |
| 23 | Bowling Green State University - Main Campus | Bowling Green, OH |
| 24 | University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN |
| 25 | Indiana University - Bloomington | Bloomington, IN |
Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State
Explore the best design and applied arts colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 1,011 |
| Ohio | 1,456 |
| Illinois | 979 |
| Indiana | 417 |
| Wisconsin | 717 |
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.
Majors Similar 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.
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