2023 Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts Master's 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. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 133 schools in the United States 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 the United States
The colleges and universities below are the most popular for design majors pursuing a master's degree.
Top 15% Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Savannah College of Art and Design to be the most popular school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the United States. SCAD is a large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Savannah.
Women make up 61% of the design majors at the school.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Savannah College of Art and Design
Request Information
Out of the 133 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Pratt Institute - Main landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Brooklyn, Pratt Institute is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
Women make up 79% of the design majors at the school.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Pratt Institute - Main Report
Request Information
The in-demand master’s degree programs at Maryland Institute College of Art helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular design and applied arts schools in the United States. Located in the large city of Baltimore, MICA is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Women make up 69% of the design majors at the school.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Maryland Institute College of Art
Request Information
Out of the 133 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Academy of Art University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of San Francisco, Academy of Art University is a private for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
About 79% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 21% are male.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Academy of Art University Report
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Liberty University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
Women make up 73% of the design majors at the school.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Liberty University
Request Information
Full Sail University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the large suburb of Winter Park, Full Sail University is a private for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Of the 70 students majoring in design at Full Sail University, 46% are male and 54% are female.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Full Sail University
Request Information
The New School ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. New School University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
Women make up 80% of the design majors at the school.
Request Information
New York School of Interior Design came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. NYSID is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.
About 81% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 19% are male.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at New York School of Interior Design
Request Information
Atlantic University College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree design and applied arts programs. Located in the city of Guaynabo, Atlantic University College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Of the 39 students majoring in design at Atlantic University College, 38% are male and 62% are female.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Atlantic University College Report
Request Information
School of Visual Arts ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of New York, SVA is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
Of the 34 students majoring in design at SVA, 26% are male and 74% are female.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at School of Visual Arts
Request Information
With a ranking of #11, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus 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 fringe town of Bowling Green, BGSU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Women make up 56% of the design majors at the school.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
Request Information
Carnegie Mellon University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
Of the 32 students majoring in design at Carnegie Mellon, 25% are male and 75% are female.
Request Information
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. UT Austin is a very large public school located in the large city of Austin.
About 79% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 21% are male.
Full Design & Applied Arts at The University of Texas at Austin Report
Request Information
Rochester Institute of Technology landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree design and applied arts programs. RIT is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Rochester.
Women make up 56% of the design majors at the school.
Request Information
California College of the Arts ranked #14 on this year’s Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large city of San Francisco, California College of the Arts is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Of the 25 students majoring in design at California College of the Arts, 32% are male and 68% are female.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at California College of the Arts
Request Information
Marymount University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Arlington, Marymount is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Women make up 96% of the design majors at the school.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Marymount University Report
Request Information
Fashion Institute of Technology landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree design and applied arts programs. Located in the large city of New York, FIT SUNY is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
About 83% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 17% are male.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Fashion Institute of Technology
Request Information
Art Center College of Design ranked #16 on this year’s Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Pasadena, Art Center College of Design is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Of the 24 students majoring in design at Art Center College of Design, 29% are male and 71% are female.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Art Center College of Design
Request Information
Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree design and applied arts programs. ASU - Skysong is a very large public school located in the city of Scottsdale.
About 57% of the students majoring in design at the school are women while 43% are male.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Arizona State University - Skysong Report
Request InformationHonorable Mentions
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 Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC |
| 20 | Ohio University - Athens Campus | Athens, OH |
| 22 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA |
| 23 | University of Baltimore | Baltimore, MD |
| 24 | Boston University | Boston, MA |
| 24 | University of Cincinnati - Main Campus | Cincinnati, OH |
| 26 | Northeastern University | Boston, MA |
| 26 | University of Illinois at Chicago | Chicago, IL |
Design & Applied Arts by Region
View the Most Popular Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
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 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.
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.