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Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California

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2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California

11 Colleges
$32,016 Avg Salary
$26,876 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You

With 194 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, design and applied arts is the #92 most popular major in California.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Grad Degree Search has created the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 11 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for design majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools

Our 2023 rankings named University of California - Los Angeles the best school in California for design and applied arts students. UCLA is a fairly large public school located in the city of Los Angeles.

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The excellent programs at Otis College of Art and Design helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Otis College of Art and Design is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Otis College of Art and Design

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Southern California Report

#4

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, CA

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means California College of the Arts is a great place for design and applied arts students. Located in the city of San Francisco, California College of the Arts is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California list. CSULB is a fairly large public school located in the city of Long Beach.

Full Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Long Beach Report

#6

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA

With a ranking of #6, San Francisco State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. Located in the city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Full Design & Applied Arts at San Francisco State University Report

Art Center College of Design landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best design and applied arts programs. Located in the midsize city of Pasadena, Art Center College of Design is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Art Center College of Design

#8

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA

Academy of Art University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of San Francisco, Academy of Art University is a private for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

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With a ranking of #9, Laguna College of Art and Design did quite well on this year’s best schools for design and applied arts students. Located in the rural area of Laguna Beach, LCAD is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Laguna College of Art and Design

California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #10 on this year’s Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Seaside, CSUMB is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

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Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 6
Oregon 18
Nevada 0

Design & Applied Arts is one of 9 different types of programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to Design

Related Major Annual Graduates
Music 7,675
Fine & Studio Arts 3,224
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 1,704
Drama & Theater Arts 1,699
Arts & Media Management 1,184

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 11 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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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