Visual and Performing Arts
Design
Listed by colleges as Design and Applied Arts
The applied visual arts that focuses on the general principles and techniques for effectively communicating ideas and information, and packaging products, in digital and other formats to business and consumer audiences, and that may prepare individuals in any of the applied art media.
Inside the major
Programs within this field
Colleges may offer this field under 10 more specific program names. The program you choose affects the courses you take.
- Design and Visual Communications, General
- The applied visual arts that focuses on the general principles and techniques for effectively communicating ideas and information, and packaging products, in digital and other formats to business and consumer audiences, and that may prepare individuals in any of the applied art media.
- Commercial and Advertising Art
- The applied visual arts that prepares you to use artistic techniques to effectively communicate ideas and information to business and consumer audiences via illustrations and other forms of digital or printed media. Covers concept design, layout, paste-up, and techniques such as engraving, etching, silkscreen, lithography, offset, drawing and cartooning, painting, collage, and computer graphics.
- Industrial and Product Design
- The applied visual arts that prepares you to use artistic techniques to effectively communicate ideas and information to business and consumer audiences via the creation of effective forms, shapes, and packaging for manufactured products. Covers designing in a wide variety of plastic and digital media, prototype construction, design development and refinement, principles of cost saving, and product structure and performance criteria relevant to aesthetic design parameters.
- Commercial Photography
- The applied visual arts that prepares you to use artistic techniques to effectively communicate ideas and information to business and consumer audiences, and recording events and people, via digital, film, still and video photography. Covers specialized camera and equipment operation and maintenance, applications to commercial and industrial needs, and photography business operations.
- Fashion/Apparel Design
- Prepares you to apply artistic principles and techniques to the professional design of commercial fashions, apparel, and accessories, and the management of fashion development projects. Covers apparel design; accessory design; the design of men's', women's', and children's' wear; flat pattern design; computer-assisted design and manufacturing; concept planning; designing in specific materials; labor and cost analysis; history of fashion; fabric art and printing; and the principles of management and operations in the fashion industry.
- Interior Design
- The applied visual arts that prepares you to apply artistic principles and techniques to the professional planning, designing, equipping, and furnishing of residential and commercial interior spaces. Covers computer applications, drafting, and graphic techniques; principles of interior lighting, acoustics, systems integration, and color coordination; furniture and furnishings; textiles and their finishing; the history of interior design and period styles; basic structural design; building codes and inspection regulations; and applications to office, hotel, factory, restaurant and housing design.
- Graphic Design
- Prepares you to apply artistic and computer techniques to the interpretation of technical and commercial concepts. Covers computer-assisted art and design, printmaking, concepts sketching, technical drawing, color theory, imaging, studio technique, still and life modeling, multimedia applications, communication skills and commercial art business operations.
- Illustration
- Prepares you to use artistic techniques to develop and execute interpretations of the concepts of authors and designers to specifications. Covers book illustration, fashion illustration, map illustration, rendering, exhibit preparation, textual layout, cartooning, and the use of various artistic techniques as requested by clients.
- Game and Interactive Media Design
- Focuses on the design, development, and programming of interactive media entertainment, including computer and video games, virtual environments, Internet applications, and other interactive media. Covers theory of games, turn-based games, real-time games, visual and interactive design, story development, animation, simulation, and programming.
- Design and Applied Arts, Other
- Design and applied arts not listed above.
Also called Sign Painting, Commercial Art Painting
Also called Game Design, Game Development
Where it can lead
Careers this field can lead to
Explore related careers, starting with the closest connections and the occupations hiring the most people.
Shrinking
Graphic Designers
- Median pay
- $62,960
- Hiring change through 2035
- −1.7%
- Job openings a year
- 16,000
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career Growing with the economyArt, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median pay
- $78,620
- Hiring change through 2035
- 2.2%
- Job openings a year
- 8,000
To get hiredMaster's degree
Explore this career GrowingWeb and Digital Interface Designers
- Median pay
- $104,000
- Hiring change through 2035
- 6.0%
- Job openings a year
- 8,300
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career Growing with the economyPostsecondary Teachers, All Other
- Median pay
- $77,640
- Hiring change through 2035
- 2.0%
- Job openings a year
- 12,500
To get hiredDoctoral or professional degree
Explore this career Growing with the economyArt Directors
- Median pay
- $114,850
- Hiring change through 2035
- 4.2%
- Job openings a year
- 12,200
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career ShrinkingPhotographers
- Median pay
- $44,660
- Hiring change through 2035
- −0.7%
- Job openings a year
- 10,700
To get hiredHigh school diploma or equivalent
Explore this career Growing with the economyCommercial and Industrial Designers
- Median pay
- $83,910
- Hiring change through 2035
- 2.4%
- Job openings a year
- 2,800
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career ShrinkingSpecial Effects Artists and Animators
- Median pay
- $102,030
- Hiring change through 2035
- −0.3%
- Job openings a year
- 4,200
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career Growing slowlyDesigners, All Other
- Median pay
- $64,950
- Hiring change through 2035
- 1.2%
- Job openings a year
- 2,100
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career Growing with the economyInterior Designers
- Median pay
- $67,190
- Hiring change through 2035
- 2.7%
- Job openings a year
- 7,700
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career Growing slowlySet and Exhibit Designers
- Median pay
- $75,240
- Hiring change through 2035
- 1.4%
- Job openings a year
- 2,200
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career Growing with the economyArtists and Related Workers, All Other
- Median pay
- $71,240
- Hiring change through 2035
- 2.0%
- Job openings a year
- 1,100
To get hiredNo formal educational credential
Explore this careerAll work is projected to grow 3.5% between 2025 and 2035; read every hiring-change figure against it. The figures beside each career are the pay of that work, across everyone doing it. Graduates of this field earn $35,919 one year after completing the program, which is the start of a career rather than the shape of one.
Working style
How and where the work happens
Related careers can feel very different from one another. Compare the specific occupations to understand the work each one involves.
1%of related openings involve substantial in-person or active work
Few of the careers connected to this field are measured as substantially in-person or active work. Compare the specific occupations to see how much time each one involves with people, equipment, and movement.
College options
Where to study it
Ordered by how many degrees each college awards in this field. Sort by any numbered column.
| College | Degrees a year | Earnings, first year out | Admit rate | Average annual cost after aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah College of Art and Design GA | 755 | $24,889 | 84% | $49,000 |
| Southern New Hampshire University NH | 662 | $37,976 | 96% | $37,000 |
| Fashion Institute of Technology NY | 633 | $40,289 | 58% | $20,000 |
| The New School NY | 496 | $30,178 | 63% | $56,000 |
| Pratt Institute-Main NY | 369 | $36,210 | 53% | $49,000 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University VA | 322 | $29,473 | 93% | $21,000 |
| Kent State University at Kent OH | 261 | $35,399 | 87% | $17,000 |
| Columbia College Chicago IL | 258 | $29,065 | 91% | $26,000 |
| Art Center College of Design CA | 245 | $40,017 | 75% | — |
| University of California-Davis CA | 240 | $38,040 | 42% | $12,000 |
| San Jose State University CA | 222 | $46,596 | 80% | $12,000 |
| Iowa State University IA | 216 | $37,065 | 89% | $15,000 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ | 198 | $38,105 | 90% | $17,000 |
| Liberty University VA | 198 | $32,506 | 99% | $27,000 |
| San Francisco State University CA | 178 | $37,384 | 96% | $12,000 |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus OH | 167 | $50,148 | 88% | $22,000 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology NY | 149 | $32,795 | 71% | $29,000 |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout WI | 146 | $39,578 | 85% | $13,000 |
| Drexel University PA | 142 | $35,133 | 78% | $35,000 |
| University of California-Santa Cruz CA | 132 | $31,645 | 63% | $14,000 |
| Appalachian State University NC | 131 | $34,417 | 89% | $15,000 |
| Ringling College of Art and Design FL | 124 | $28,371 | 67% | $55,000 |
| University of North Texas TX | 121 | $38,405 | 72% | $14,000 |
| CUNY Queens College NY | 120 | $29,634 | 69% | $7,000 |
| Auburn University AL | 116 | $37,862 | 50% | $21,000 |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona CA | 116 | $34,271 | 74% | $11,000 |
| Texas State University TX | 114 | $39,060 | 89% | $14,000 |
| Michigan State University MI | 110 | $37,306 | 84% | $17,000 |
| California State University-Long Beach CA | 108 | $40,105 | 47% | $10,000 |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN | 108 | $40,607 | 77% | $10,000 |
| Syracuse University NY | 101 | $40,400 | 42% | $21,000 |
| Portland State University OR | 95 | $36,317 | 91% | $9,000 |
| Rhode Island School of Design RI | 91 | $38,129 | 14% | — |
| Boise State University ID | 89 | $26,706 | 84% | $21,000 |
| Kean University NJ | 89 | $36,145 | 77% | $12,000 |
| CUNY New York City College of Technology NY | 88 | $30,519 | 81% | $8,000 |
| California State University-Chico CA | 85 | $21,425 | 94% | $13,000 |
| Ferris State University MI | 83 | $31,519 | 81% | $8,000 |
| DePaul University IL | 79 | $32,912 | 74% | $29,000 |
| Clemson University SC | 79 | $41,708 | 38% | $19,000 |