College Rankings

Best Design Schools

The top 25 of 267 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate Design degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.

Is Design worth it?

A design degree can be incredibly lucrative, but the financial payoff depends heavily on your specialization and your geography. If you pivot toward user experience (UX), human-computer interaction (HCI), or industrial design, you are stepping into a high-demand tech and product pipeline that pays premium salaries. Traditional graphic design, by contrast, is more saturated and often pays a lower starting wage. The data reveals a clear winning strategy for prospective students: skip the exorbitant private art institutes. The best return on investment overwhelmingly belongs to major public research universities situated in massive tech and media hubs, where in-state tuition is low and local employers recruit directly from the classroom.

Filter by state

#	School	State	Score	Median earnings	Net price / yr	10-yr net ROI
1	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	WA	71	$63,449	$14,091†	+$578K
2	University of California-Los Angeles	CA	70	$57,615	$12,548†	+$526K
3	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus	GA	70	$52,694	$12,116†	+$478K
4	University of Florida	FL	63	$43,144	$6,541†	+$405K
5	The University of Texas at Austin	TX	61	$44,506	$19,857†	+$366K
6	Northeastern University	MA	60	$49,727	$30,915	+$374K
7	University of Houston	TX	59	$47,461	$14,276†	+$418K
8	University of Southern California	CA	58	$64,846	$32,740	+$518K
9	Ohio State University-Main Campus	OH	58	$45,176	$17,339†	+$382K
10	Florida State University	FL	57	$49,144	$11,297†	+$446K
11	University of Notre Dame	IN	57	$46,825	$26,780	+$361K
12	Washington State University	WA	56	$44,823	$14,971†	+$388K
13	University of Delaware	DE	56	$42,585	$17,799†	+$355K
14	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	OH	55	$52,526	$25,648†	+$423K
15	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	55	$49,780	$17,354†	+$428K
16	North Carolina State University at Raleigh	NC	54	$44,930	$17,303†	+$380K
17	Texas State University	TX	54	$44,396	$16,805†	+$377K
18	California State University-Long Beach	CA	54	$37,395	$10,440†	+$332K
19	Weber State University	UT	53	$40,507	$10,258†	+$364K
20	Western Michigan University	MI	53	$39,077	$15,273†	+$330K
21	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	MN	52	$42,462	$16,778†	+$358K
22	Metropolitan State University of Denver	CO	52	$39,450	$15,327†	+$333K
23	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	VA	51	$46,761	$24,953†	+$368K
24	Bellevue College	WA	51	$45,947	$11,430†	+$414K
25	Purdue University-Main Campus	IN	51	$44,602	$14,600†	+$388K
26	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona	PA	51	$43,324	$22,213†	+$344K
27	West Virginia University	WV	51	$39,847	$15,634†	+$336K
28	Seattle Pacific University	WA	51	$39,248	$24,488	+$295K
29	University of South Florida	FL	51	$38,938	$9,812†	+$350K
30	Portland State University	OR	51	$35,304	$9,552†	+$315K
31	San Francisco State University	CA	51	$34,845	$12,278†	+$299K
32	Miami University-Oxford	OH	50	$47,295	$28,384†	+$359K
33	Carnegie Mellon University	PA	49	$66,274	$31,944	+$535K
34	Wentworth Institute of Technology	MA	49	$50,599	$34,170	+$369K
35	Art Center College of Design	CA	49	$47,053	$48,661	+$276K
36	University of Central Oklahoma	OK	49	$42,619	$18,309†	+$353K
37	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	IL	49	$34,670	$14,355†	+$289K
38	Clemson University	SC	48	$46,689	$22,253†	+$378K
39	Chapman University	CA	48	$46,519	$46,555	+$279K
40	California State University-Northridge	CA	48	$36,736	$7,021†	+$339K
41	Suffolk University	MA	47	$47,415	$29,618	+$356K
42	Auburn University	AL	47	$46,585	$24,323†	+$369K
43	University of Kentucky	KY	47	$42,168	$18,851†	+$346K
44	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	AZ	47	$35,960	$14,967†	+$300K
45	Kean University	NJ	47	$35,673	$12,447†	+$307K
46	The University of Alabama	AL	46	$44,215	$22,420†	+$352K
47	Temple University	PA	46	$43,530	$28,198†	+$323K
48	North Dakota State University-Main Campus	ND	46	$41,846	$15,543†	+$356K
49	East Carolina University	NC	46	$39,992	$15,739†	+$337K
50	Seminole State College of Florida	FL	46	$39,221	$8,970†	+$356K
51	University of North Carolina at Greensboro	NC	46	$38,858	$10,965†	+$345K
52	University of California-Davis	CA	46	$32,816	$14,741†	+$269K
53	Boston University	MA	45	$49,254	$24,402	+$395K
54	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	PA	45	$43,324	$32,875†	+$302K
55	Winthrop University	SC	45	$40,119	$15,343†	+$340K
56	Park University	MO	44	$46,340	$21,032	+$379K
57	Syracuse University	NY	44	$46,181	$38,793	+$307K
58	Susquehanna University	PA	44	$42,510	$28,819	+$310K
59	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga	TN	44	$41,968	$14,265†	+$363K
60	University of Akron Main Campus	OH	44	$39,856	$13,946†	+$343K
61	California State University-Sacramento	CA	44	$32,240	$9,338†	+$285K
62	University of Dayton	OH	43	$43,609	$29,533	+$318K
63	University of Central Arkansas	AR	43	$43,106	$16,511†	+$365K
64	University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point	WI	43	$41,243	$14,559†	+$354K
65	University of Wisconsin-Stout	WI	43	$40,615	$17,490†	+$336K
66	Eastern Michigan University	MI	43	$38,443	$15,407†	+$323K
67	University of Kansas	KS	43	$37,508	$18,059†	+$303K
68	Utah Valley University	UT	43	$31,888	$6,376†	+$293K
69	Pennsylvania College of Technology	PA	42	$45,572	$25,110†	+$355K
70	Kansas State University	KS	42	$43,992	$19,406†	+$362K
71	University of Northern Iowa	IA	42	$38,637	$15,901†	+$323K
72	Central Michigan University	MI	42	$36,917	$17,597†	+$299K
73	University of Illinois Chicago	IL	42	$34,377	$10,974†	+$300K
74	Brigham Young University	UT	42	$33,915	$15,564	+$277K
75	Ohio University-Eastern Campus	OH	42	$24,716	$3,925†	+$231K
76	University of Arkansas	AR	41	$41,782	$18,209†	+$345K
77	Sam Houston State University	TX	41	$39,959	$16,404†	+$334K
78	Iowa State University	IA	41	$37,565	$18,589†	+$301K
79	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus	OH	41	$24,716	$5,755†	+$224K
80	Ohio University-Southern Campus	OH	41	$24,716	$5,993†	+$223K
81	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus	OH	41	$24,716	$5,650†	+$225K
82	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus	OH	41	$24,716	$5,746†	+$224K
83	University of Massachusetts-Lowell	MA	40	$41,020	$17,163†	+$342K
84	Middle Tennessee State University	TN	40	$38,807	$13,359†	+$335K
85	Arkansas State University	AR	40	$35,970	$12,366†	+$310K
86	Northern Arizona University	AZ	40	$33,964	$14,158†	+$283K
87	University of North Texas	TX	40	$33,867	$15,649†	+$276K
88	Kutztown University of Pennsylvania	PA	39	$40,286	$21,331†	+$318K
89	Georgia Southern University	GA	39	$39,355	$15,267†	+$332K
90	Bellevue University	NE	39	$39,313	$17,550	+$323K
91	University of Wisconsin-Parkside	WI	39	$36,920	$11,772†	+$322K
92	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	TN	39	$36,061	$18,976†	+$285K
93	Indiana University of Pennsylvania	PA	39	$34,981	$16,804†	+$283K
94	Appalachian State University	NC	39	$34,722	$16,836†	+$280K
95	State University of New York at New Paltz	NY	39	$34,677	$18,809†	+$272K
96	Ferris State University	MI	39	$34,045	$8,624†	+$306K
97	California State University-Monterey Bay	CA	39	$30,378	$13,663†	+$249K
98	Utah State University	UT	38	$52,431	$14,936†	+$465K
99	New Jersey Institute of Technology	NJ	38	$38,975	$16,504†	+$324K
100	Drexel University	PA	38	$38,154	$38,509	+$228K
101	Missouri Western State University	MO	38	$37,200	$13,251†	+$319K
102	Michigan State University	MI	38	$36,784	$19,680†	+$289K
103	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus	OR	38	$35,614	$18,048†	+$284K
104	Keene State College	NH	38	$34,947	$17,887†	+$278K
105	Central Connecticut State University	CT	38	$34,930	$16,857†	+$282K
106	Western Carolina University	NC	38	$32,842	$13,315†	+$275K
107	San Diego State University	CA	38	$31,459	$15,364†	+$253K
108	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	CA	38	$30,065	$11,531†	+$255K
109	CUNY Queens College	NY	38	$19,349	$4,195†	+$177K
110	Samford University	AL	37	$41,323	$32,622	+$283K
111	Maryville University of Saint Louis	MO	37	$39,623	$22,066	+$308K
112	Illinois State University	IL	37	$39,287	$19,398†	+$315K
113	Endicott College	MA	37	$39,271	$40,654	+$230K
114	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	NE	37	$38,585	$17,747†	+$315K
115	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus	OK	37	$37,755	$15,300†	+$316K
116	Western Washington University	WA	37	$31,078	$21,193†	+$226K
117	Oakland University	MI	37	$30,687	$9,120†	+$270K
118	Farmingdale State College	NY	37	$27,827	$10,867†	+$235K
119	California State University-Fresno	CA	37	$23,160	$7,000†	+$204K
120	Dunwoody College of Technology	MN	36	$40,302	$26,939	+$295K
121	Baylor University	TX	36	$39,333	$41,104	+$229K
122	Minnesota State University Moorhead	MN	36	$38,587	$17,997†	+$314K
123	Ball State University	IN	36	$36,864	$14,940†	+$309K
124	Oregon State University	OR	36	$35,614	$19,604†	+$278K
125	Saginaw Valley State University	MI	36	$27,577	$10,775†	+$233K
126	California State University-San Bernardino	CA	36	$24,604	$4,564†	+$228K
127	Grand Canyon University	AZ	35	$38,976	$22,472	+$300K
128	Judson University	IL	35	$37,466	$18,558	+$300K
129	Kent State University at Kent	OH	35	$36,351	$20,787†	+$280K
130	South Dakota State University	SD	35	$35,944	$19,841†	+$280K
131	Radford University	VA	35	$34,096	$14,578†	+$283K
132	Wichita State University	KS	35	$33,590	$13,194†	+$283K
133	University of Oregon	OR	35	$28,844	$22,182†	+$200K
134	University of North Georgia	GA	35	$26,823	$9,823†	+$229K
135	CUNY New York City College of Technology	NY	35	$21,445	$5,127†	+$194K
136	Bemidji State University	MN	34	$40,231	$15,261†	+$341K
137	Abilene Christian University	TX	34	$38,553	$26,182	+$281K
138	Thomas Jefferson University	PA	34	$36,433	$28,928	+$249K
139	Saint Cloud State University	MN	34	$34,627	$13,529†	+$292K
140	North Carolina A & T State University	NC	34	$30,470	$10,846†	+$261K
141	University of Northwestern-St Paul	MN	33	$37,966	$27,705	+$269K
142	Saint Norbert College	WI	33	$37,856	$26,172	+$274K
143	Cedarville University	OH	33	$35,768	$24,468	+$260K
144	Carthage College	WI	33	$35,511	$26,565	+$249K
145	University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne	IN	33	$35,439	$18,196	+$282K
146	University of Nevada-Las Vegas	NV	33	$31,702	$10,359†	+$276K
147	Mercyhurst University	PA	33	$28,267	$19,444	+$205K
148	Fashion Institute of Technology	NY	33	$27,023	$19,095†	+$194K
149	University of Michigan-Flint	MI	33	$18,339	$7,007†	+$155K
150	Pratt Institute-Main	NY	32	$36,040	$52,659	+$150K
151	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	OH	32	$35,645	$24,022†	+$260K
152	Longwood University	VA	32	$35,612	$19,066†	+$280K
153	University of Central Missouri	MO	32	$33,921	$14,462†	+$281K
154	Marymount University	VA	32	$33,180	$29,137	+$215K
155	Montclair State University	NJ	32	$26,027	$15,566†	+$198K
156	Champlain College	VT	31	$38,264	$35,860	+$239K
157	Meredith College	NC	31	$36,357	$22,488	+$274K
158	East Tennessee State University	TN	31	$34,177	$15,983†	+$278K
159	University of Wisconsin-Green Bay	WI	31	$32,991	$13,369†	+$276K
160	York College of Pennsylvania	PA	31	$30,567	$18,556	+$231K
161	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	NY	30	$36,191	$36,228	+$217K
162	Quinnipiac University	CT	30	$35,884	$40,675	+$196K
163	Harding University	AR	30	$35,582	$22,130	+$267K
164	Concordia University-Saint Paul	MN	30	$34,384	$18,462	+$270K
165	Rochester Institute of Technology	NY	29	$34,709	$34,906	+$207K
166	College for Creative Studies	MI	29	$32,665	$34,617	+$188K
167	State University of New York at Oswego	NY	29	$32,546	$16,236†	+$261K
168	DePaul University	IL	29	$30,536	$30,902	+$182K
169	Louisiana Tech University	LA	29	$29,146	$11,864†	+$244K
170	North Central College	IL	29	$28,037	$21,044	+$196K
171	California State University-Chico	CA	29	$27,573	$14,480†	+$218K
172	Indiana University-Bloomington	IN	29	$26,421	$16,264†	+$199K
173	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus	PR	29	$7,580	$7,051	+$48K
174	Bob Jones University	SC	28	$36,424	$16,641	+$298K
175	Anderson University	SC	28	$34,040	$23,544	+$246K
176	University of Maryland-Baltimore County	MD	28	$34,020	$16,467†	+$274K
177	Washington University in St Louis	MO	28	$33,615	$21,786	+$249K
178	William Peace University	NC	28	$33,536	$21,649	+$249K
179	University of San Francisco	CA	28	$32,070	$41,431	+$155K
180	Cleveland State University	OH	28	$24,959	$14,764†	+$191K
181	Southern New Hampshire University	NH	27	$35,878	$36,708	+$212K
182	Russell Sage College	NY	27	$35,294	$22,917	+$261K
183	Nazareth University	NY	27	$33,461	$29,357	+$217K
184	Oklahoma Christian University	OK	27	$31,466	$21,872	+$227K
185	Black Hills State University	SD	27	$31,022	$15,911†	+$247K
186	Grand View University	IA	27	$26,996	$21,774	+$183K
187	Ohio University-Main Campus	OH	27	$24,716	$21,637†	+$161K
188	Bradley University	IL	27	$22,893	$22,719	+$138K
189	Flagler College	FL	26	$34,236	$30,525	+$220K
190	Missouri State University-Springfield	MO	26	$33,695	$17,613†	+$266K
191	Emmanuel College	MA	26	$32,413	$26,706	+$217K
192	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	NJ	26	$32,397	$24,406†	+$226K
193	Taylor University	IN	26	$31,921	$24,865	+$220K
194	St Catherine University	MN	26	$31,547	$19,764	+$236K
195	University of Minnesota-Duluth	MN	26	$31,337	$18,743†	+$238K
196	University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth	MA	26	$29,660	$20,927†	+$213K
197	Rhode Island School of Design	RI	26	$29,489	$50,507	+$93K
198	Fitchburg State University	MA	26	$29,191	$14,262†	+$235K
199	Marist University	NY	26	$28,336	$41,544	+$117K
200	University of Louisiana at Lafayette	LA	26	$28,206	$13,530†	+$228K
201	University of the Incarnate Word	TX	26	$27,986	$22,775	+$189K
202	The University of Texas at Dallas	TX	26	$26,629	$18,267†	+$193K
203	John Brown University	AR	26	$24,893	$20,397	+$167K
204	Arkansas Tech University	AR	26	$20,285	$12,970†	+$151K
205	Woodbury University	CA	25	$32,175	$33,692	+$187K
206	Mississippi Christian University	MS	25	$32,020	$27,712	+$209K
207	Baldwin Wallace University	OH	25	$31,749	$27,603	+$207K
208	Otis College of Art and Design	CA	25	$31,172	$51,248	+$107K
209	Upper Iowa University	IA	25	$31,122	$20,942	+$227K
210	Robert Morris University	PA	25	$29,488	$23,003	+$203K
211	Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design	WI	25	$28,801	$26,541	+$182K
212	Stevenson University	MD	25	$27,969	$26,505	+$174K
213	Purdue University Fort Wayne	IN	25	$27,517	$13,171†	+$222K
214	SUNY at Fredonia	NY	25	$19,451	$15,897†	+$131K
215	University of Denver	CO	24	$31,104	$36,131	+$167K
216	Albright College	PA	24	$29,793	$20,024	+$218K
217	Massachusetts College of Art and Design	MA	24	$24,706	$24,100†	+$151K
218	Dominican University	IL	24	$22,938	$11,745	+$182K
219	Queens University of Charlotte	NC	23	$31,611	$30,857	+$193K
220	University of Bridgeport	CT	23	$31,207	$27,807	+$201K
221	Lubbock Christian University	TX	23	$29,479	$24,456	+$197K
222	Rider University	NJ	23	$29,445	$24,792	+$195K
223	California Baptist University	CA	23	$28,669	$26,285	+$182K
224	Walla Walla University	WA	23	$28,436	$23,329	+$191K
225	Coastal Carolina University	SC	23	$26,076	$13,966†	+$205K
226	Virginia Commonwealth University	VA	23	$25,872	$23,433†	+$165K
227	Kennesaw State University	GA	23	$25,839	$15,048†	+$198K
228	Marywood University	PA	23	$25,727	$23,388	+$164K
229	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus	NJ	23	$24,357	$15,404	+$182K
230	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University	FL	23	$23,504	$13,739†	+$180K
231	Boise State University	ID	22	$31,083	$21,610†	+$224K
232	Assumption University	MA	22	$28,032	$29,498	+$162K
233	New England Institute of Technology	RI	22	$27,383	$36,483	+$128K
234	University of New Haven	CT	22	$26,425	$34,192	+$127K
235	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus	NJ	22	$24,357	$22,829	+$152K
236	Western Oregon University	OR	22	$23,583	$17,237†	+$167K
237	Southern Arkansas University Main Campus	AR	22	$22,016	$14,027†	+$164K
238	SUNY Polytechnic Institute	NY	22	$20,252	$14,164†	+$146K
239	Saint Edward's University	TX	21	$30,589	$25,578	+$204K
240	Mount Mary University	WI	21	$30,053	$20,144	+$220K
241	Liberty University	VA	21	$30,019	$29,357	+$183K
242	Columbia College Chicago	IL	21	$29,630	$26,598	+$190K
243	Kansas City Art Institute	MO	21	$29,513	$27,650	+$185K
244	California College of the Arts	CA	21	$28,673	$53,909	+$71K
245	Laguna College of Art and Design	CA	21	$27,785	$42,505	+$108K
246	Lesley University	MA	21	$25,227	$31,152	+$128K
247	Cleveland Institute of Art	OH	21	$23,358	$29,208	+$117K
248	Webster University	MO	21	$20,257	$27,047	+$94K
249	Roosevelt University	IL	21	$19,028	$20,194	+$110K
250	Lasell University	MA	20	$29,661	$27,511	+$187K
251	University of Hartford	CT	20	$29,515	$30,282	+$174K
252	Shawnee State University	OH	20	$24,375	$14,381†	+$186K
253	Maryland Institute College of Art	MD	19	$27,246	$42,729	+$102K
254	Centenary University	NJ	19	$26,569	$20,503	+$184K
255	Minneapolis College of Art and Design	MN	19	$23,687	$29,926	+$117K
256	Maine College of Art & Design	ME	18	$29,001	$38,338	+$137K
257	Belmont University	TN	18	$28,702	$33,147	+$154K
258	Columbus College of Art & Design	OH	18	$27,970	$29,439	+$162K
259	The New School	NY	18	$24,804	$58,741	+$13K
260	Ringling College of Art and Design	FL	17	$28,137	$57,742	+$50K
261	Moore College of Art and Design	PA	17	$20,587	$43,086	+$34K
262	Pennsylvania College of Art and Design	PA	16	$25,830	$30,083	+$138K
263	Savannah College of Art and Design	GA	16	$23,400	$49,430	+$36K
264	Clark Atlanta University	GA	16	$20,974	$37,702	+$59K
265	Art Academy of Cincinnati	OH	16	$20,921	$34,253	+$72K
266	Montserrat College of Art	MA	16	$19,865	$33,216	+$66K
267	Pacific Northwest College of Art	OR	16	$19,501	$35,785	+$52K

Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI

How to read this: Median earnings = typical pay one year after graduation. Net price = average annual cost after grant aid, incl. living costs — not sticker tuition. 10-yr net ROI = ten years of earnings minus four years of net price. Score = the CollegeRanked Score (0–100) that sets the order — it blends ROI with longer-run earnings, job demand and automation resilience, so a school can outrank one with a slightly higher 10-yr ROI. † = public university — net price shown is the in-state cost; out-of-state students pay more. See the full methodology.

Why these schools rank where they do

The University of Washington takes the #1 spot because its design graduates are practically minted for the Seattle tech ecosystem. UW’s highly competitive programs in interaction design and human-centered design feed a relentless pipeline straight into Amazon, Microsoft, and a constellation of Pacific Northwest software companies. When you combine top-tier tech salaries with public school tuition, the math easily pushes UW to the top.

Geography and experiential learning dominate the rest of the board. Georgia Tech (#3) treats industrial design almost like an engineering discipline, producing highly technical graduates who are aggressively recruited by product manufacturers. Meanwhile, Northeastern (#6) and the University of Cincinnati (#14) punch high thanks to their mandatory co-op programs. Cincinnati’s renowned DAAP (Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning) college forces students to alternate semesters of study with full-time, paid professional work, meaning grads leave with a packed portfolio and a network of employers already familiar with their work.

The biggest surprise on the list is Bellevue College at #24. It isn’t a traditional university, but rather a community college offering targeted applied bachelor's degrees. By offering highly relevant, specialized skills—like UX design and interior design—at community college prices right in Seattle's backyard, Bellevue quietly outperforms hundreds of expensive, prestigious universities in pure return on investment.

What is Design?

Design is the bridge between human psychology and functional aesthetics, encompassing everything from the digital interfaces we tap daily to the physical products we use. Day-to-day, designers conduct user research, build wireframes and prototypes, and collaborate with engineering and marketing teams to ensure a product is both intuitive and visually compelling.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to go to a dedicated art or design school?

No. While famous private art schools offer incredible networking and prestige in high fashion or fine arts, this ranking shows that traditional public universities often provide a vastly superior financial return. This is especially true for tech-adjacent design fields like UI/UX and industrial design, where employers care far more about your technical skills than the artistic prestige of your alma mater.

What is the difference between a BA, BFA, and BS in design?

A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is highly studio-intensive, meaning the vast majority of your classes are hands-on design work. A Bachelor of Arts (BA) includes more liberal arts requirements, offering broader academic flexibility. A Bachelor of Science (BS), often found in industrial or UX design programs, leans heavily into research, psychology, and engineering principles.

How important is my portfolio compared to my degree?

Your portfolio is everything. A degree gets you past the initial HR filter, but hiring managers in design only care about what you can actually build and what problems you can solve. This is exactly why schools with heavy co-op requirements or studio projects sponsored by real-world companies rank so highly on this list—they force you to build a professional, battle-tested portfolio before you even graduate.