2023 Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools in California
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts Master'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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 14 schools in California to see which master'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 Master’s Degree Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Colleges.
Top 10 Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Academy of Art University the most popular school in California for design and applied arts students working on their master’s degree. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized private for-profit school located in the large city of San Francisco.
About 79% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 21% are male.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means California College of the Arts is a great place for design and applied arts students working on their master’s degree. California College of the Arts is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco.
Of the 25 students majoring in design at California College of the Arts, 32% are male and 68% are female.
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The in-demand master’s degree programs at Art Center College of Design helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular design and applied arts schools in California. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pasadena.
Of the 24 students majoring in design at Art Center College of Design, 29% are male and 71% are female.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California list. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Of the 21 students majoring in design at USC, 19% are male and 81% are female.
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The in-demand master’s degree programs at Otis College of Art and Design helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular design and applied arts schools in California. Otis College of Art and Design is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
Women make up 73% of the design majors at the school.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Otis College of Art and Design Report
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San Francisco State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. SFSU is a very large public school located in the large city of San Francisco.
About 67% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 33% are male.
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University of California - Los Angeles ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a very large student population.
About 50% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 50% are male.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of California - Los Angeles Report
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With a ranking of #7, New York Film Academy did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for design and applied arts students working on their master’s degree. Located in the midsize city of Burbank, New York Film Academy is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at New York Film Academy
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Laguna College of Art and Design came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. LCAD is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Laguna Beach.
Women make up 50% of the design majors at the school.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Laguna College of Art and Design
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California State University - Long Beach ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Of the 4 students majoring in design at CSULB, 25% are male and 75% are female.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Long Beach
Request InformationBest Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Schools 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 14 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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