by our College Data Analytics Team
[Design And Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 100 schools on the early-career earnings of their design and applied arts graduates.
What’s on this page:
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.
The right design and applied arts school can pay off in your paycheck for years to come. To help, we created our Highest Paid Design And Applied Arts Graduates ranking. It looks at the median early-career salaries graduates earn, so you can find the schools whose design and applied arts degrees pay off the most.
Read more about our methodology
We offer a number of rankings, including this Highest Paid Design And Applied Arts Graduates list, to help you decide. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
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.
If you want to know which schools send design and applied arts graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in design and applied arts, no school beat Gnomon School Of Visual Effects this year. Gnomon School Of Visual Effects is a private for-profit school located in the city of North Hollywood. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from Gnomon School Of Visual Effects make a median of around $94,066 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in design and applied arts will find them at San Jose State University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State University is a public institution. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $93,917.
Lawrence Technological University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying design and applied arts schools. Lawrence Technological University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Southfield. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $72,639.
Strong graduate earnings at County College Of Morris earned it the #4 place for design and applied arts. Located in the suburb of Randolph, County College Of Morris is a public institution. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from County College Of Morris make a median of around $54,286 per year.
University Of Washington Seattle Campus produces some of the highest-paid graduates in design and applied arts, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a public institution. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from University Of Washington Seattle Campus typically earn about $85,351 annually.
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Stonehill College placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for design and applied arts. Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Easton. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $71,309.
University Of Southern California earned the #7 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. University Of Southern California is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from University Of Southern California make a median of around $79,947 per year.
University Of California Los Angeles ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying design and applied arts schools. University Of California Los Angeles is a public school located in the city of Los Angeles. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from University Of California Los Angeles typically earn about $85,813 annually.
Southern Methodist University placed #9 among the highest-paying schools for design and applied arts. Located in the suburb of Dallas, Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $67,905.
Northeastern University landed the #10 spot for design and applied arts salaries this year. Set in the city of Boston, Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from Northeastern University typically earn about $95,088 annually.
Carnegie Mellon University placed #11 among the highest-paying schools for design and applied arts. Set in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $66,274.
George Washington University placed #12 among the highest-paying schools for design and applied arts. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $62,031.
The University Of Texas At Austin placed #13 among the highest-paying schools for design and applied arts. Located in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a public institution. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from The University Of Texas At Austin make a median of around $88,050 per year.
Lake Washington Institute Of Technology earned the #14 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Kirkland, Lake Washington Institute Of Technology is a public institution. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $61,539.
School Of Advertising Art Inc came in at #15 for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Kettering, School Of Advertising Art Inc is a private for-profit institution. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from School Of Advertising Art Inc typically earn about $41,953 annually.
Art Center College Of Design landed the #16 spot for design and applied arts salaries this year. Set in the city of Pasadena, Art Center College Of Design is a private not-for-profit institution. Design And Applied Arts graduates of Art Center College Of Design earn a median of about $81,385 a year early in their careers.
University Of Notre Dame earned the #17 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Notre Dame, University Of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from University Of Notre Dame typically earn about $81,608 annually.
Austin Community College District came in at #18 for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Austin Community College District is a public school located in the city of Austin. Design And Applied Arts graduates of Austin Community College District earn a median of about $43,956 a year early in their careers.
Texas Christian University placed #19 among the highest-paying schools for design and applied arts. Texas Christian University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Fort Worth. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from Texas Christian University make a median of around $60,241 per year.
Point Loma Nazarene University earned the #20 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of San Diego, Point Loma Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. Design And Applied Arts graduates of Point Loma Nazarene University earn a median of about $59,941 a year early in their careers.
Creighton University came in at #21 for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Creighton University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Omaha. Early-career design and applied arts graduates from Creighton University make a median of around $59,760 per year.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus earned the #22 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a public institution. Students who complete the design and applied arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $69,447.
Chapman University placed #23 among the highest-paying schools for design and applied arts. Located in the city of Orange, Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from Chapman University typically earn about $77,615 annually.
Wentworth Institute Of Technology earned the #24 position for design and applied arts graduate earnings this year. Wentworth Institute Of Technology is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. After graduating, design and applied arts degree recipients from Wentworth Institute Of Technology typically earn about $67,547 annually.
Drake University landed the #25 spot for design and applied arts salaries this year. Set in the city of Des Moines, Drake University is a private not-for-profit institution. Design And Applied Arts graduates of Drake University earn a median of about $56,719 a year early in their careers.
These schools also send design and applied arts graduates into strong-paying careers this year:
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These institutions also earned high marks for design and applied arts graduate pay:
| Rank | College | Location | Avg Salary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #51 | Clemson University | Clemson, SC | $57,835 | Full Report |
| #52 | Interior Designers Institute | Newport Beach, CA | $33,144 | Full Report |
| #53 | Susquehanna University | Selinsgrove, PA | $63,532 | Full Report |
| #54 | Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL | $52,542 | Full Report |
| #55 | Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI | $67,581 | Full Report |
| #56 | Finger Lakes Community College | Canandaigua, NY | $37,547 | Full Report |
| #57 | University Of Dayton | Dayton, OH | $60,018 | Full Report |
| #58 | Miami Ad School At Portfolio Center | Atlanta, GA | $72,830 | Full Report |
| #59 | Miami Ad School Wynwood | Miami, FL | $72,830 | Full Report |
| #60 | University Of Minnesota Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN | $61,564 | Full Report |
| #61 | Waukesha County Technical College | Pewaukee, WI | $34,755 | Full Report |
Learn about other programs related to Design And Applied Arts that might interest you.
Get on the right path to the fast-paced, exciting world of video game art and design with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts - Web Design
Gain a solid grounding in your online web design classes and exercise your creative muscle with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
A few more high-earning design and applied arts schools worth a look:
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their design and applied arts graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 100 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
