Best UX Design Bachelor's Degree Programs 2026

Best UX Design Programs - Top 10 Bachelor's — Complete Program Data

1. #1. University of Central Florida Bachelor's UX Design Program

   Hakia ranks University of Central Florida as the #1 bachelor's in ux design degree program. Location: Orlando, FL | Type: Public | Tuition: $4,478/year | Graduation Rate: 93% | Score: 84.6

   What makes University of Central Florida stand out: While UCF lacks a dedicated UX Design program, it uniquely positions students through America's Space University innovation ecosystem and the #1-ranked Interactive Entertainment program at FIEA, offering unparalleled access to Orlando's entertainment and technology industries.

   Hakia Insight: University of Central Florida leverages partnerships with NASA and Central Florida Research Park to offer students real-world project experience valued by employers.

   Program Overview: The University of Central Florida does not offer a dedicated UX Design master's program among its 90+ graduate degree options. However, UCF provides several related programs that could serve UX Design aspirants. The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Emerging Media offers tracks in Studio Art and Design as well as Animation and Visual Effects, housed within the College of Arts and Humanities. For those interested in the technical side of user experience, the College of Engineering and Computer Science offers an MS in Computer Science and an innovative MS in Interactive Entertainment through the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) located in downtown Orlando. The Interactive Entertainment program, ranked #1 nationally by The Princeton Review and PC Gamer magazine, focuses on game design, programming, and 3D artistry while developing problem-solving and project management skills under world-renowned faculty.

   Degree Programs: MFA in Emerging Media - Studio Art and Design (2-3 years); MS in Interactive Entertainment (2 years); MS in Computer Science (2 years)

   Research Labs: Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) - World-class facility for game design and interactive entertainment; Institute for Simulation & Training (IST) - VR/AR/XR, Human-Centered Design, and Advanced Modeling & Simulation

   Industry Partners: NASA, Central Florida Research Park, Entertainment Industry

   Career Outcomes: | Common Roles: UI/UX Designer, Brand Manager, Motion Graphics Designer, Identity Designer, Editorial Designer

   Notable Faculty: Chad Walker (UI/UX design, game design, conceptual design - creator of award-winning games including Age of Empires)

   Admissions:

2. #2. Purdue University-Main Campus Bachelor's UX Design Program

   Hakia ranks Purdue University-Main Campus as the #2 bachelor's in ux design degree program. Location: West Lafayette, IN | Type: Public | Tuition: $9,718/year | Graduation Rate: 83% | Score: 79.6

   What makes Purdue University-Main Campus stand out: Purdue's UX Design program provides students with 3.5 years of real-world client experience through its unique Experience Studio model, while ranking #6 nationally and #2 in the Midwest for UX/UI/HCI programs according to Animation Career Review 2024.

   Hakia Insight: Purdue University-Main Campus's industry network — including Oracle Corp. and Microsoft — provides students with internship and hiring pathways.

   Program Overview: Purdue University's UX Design program, housed within the School of Applied and Creative Computing at the Purdue Polytechnic Institute, offers a distinctive Bachelor of Science degree that emphasizes hands-on, industry-connected learning. What sets this program apart is its dual-studio approach: Learning Studios where students hone fundamental skills, and Experience Studios where they tackle real-world projects with industry sponsors. Students graduate with an impressive 3.5 years of practical experience working with actual clients, building robust portfolios through projects like designing portable DJing features for Spotify or collaborating with medical startups on product development. The program's curriculum spans user research, visual and interaction design, advanced prototyping, and cross-channel strategies, with courses ranging from imaging technology and web development to advanced UX design studios and data visualization. Students can even graduate in three years through Purdue's accelerated Degree in 3 program. The program benefits from Purdue's strong industry connections, placing graduates at major tech companies while maintaining the intimate, close-knit environment that comes with smaller class sizes and direct faculty mentorship from experts like Professor Paul Parsons, recently honored as Most Distinguished Faculty for Research.

   Degree Programs: BS in Computer Science with HCI focus (4 years); MS in Human-Computer Interaction (through Graduate School) (2 years)

   Research Labs: Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory - Usability research, accessibility, interaction design methods

   Industry Partners: Oracle Corp., Microsoft, Salesforce, Citigroup Inc., BraunAbility, Google, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase

   Career Outcomes: | Top Employers: Google, Amazon, Salesforce, Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase

   Notable Faculty: Lorraine Kisselburgh (Design thinking, human-centered innovation, stakeholder engagement)

   Admissions: GPA: 3.5 minimum for transfer students

3. #3. University of Southern California Bachelor's UX Design Program

   Hakia ranks University of Southern California as the #3 bachelor's in ux design degree program. Location: Los Angeles, CA | Type: Private | Tuition: $66,640/year | Graduation Rate: 92% | Score: 74.8

   What makes University of Southern California stand out: USC's strength lies in its interdisciplinary approach through the Iovine and Young Academy and its location in Los Angeles, providing access to the entertainment and tech industries, though it lacks a dedicated UX Design graduate program.

   Hakia Insight: University of Southern California graduates earn $114,510,130,000, driven by the program's industry connections and hands-on ux design curriculum.

   Program Overview: Based on the available sources, USC does not appear to offer a dedicated UX Design graduate program. While the University of Southern California houses 23 schools and academic divisions with extensive graduate offerings spanning business, engineering, cinematic arts, and design, UX Design is not explicitly listed among their graduate programs. The USC Roski School of Art & Design offers graduate programs including an MFA in Art, MFA in Design, and MA in Curatorial Practices and the Public Sphere, which could provide foundational design skills. Additionally, the Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science offers robust programs in human-computer interaction, computer vision, and interactive technologies through their various research labs. Students interested in UX might also explore the USC Iovine and Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation, which focuses on interdisciplinary approaches to technology and design.

   Degree Programs: MS in Integrated Design, Business and Technology (17-24 months)

   Research Labs: Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning and Education - Educational innovation and developmental affective neuroscience; Center for Empowered Learning and Development with Technology - Equity in digital learning and development; Computational Social Science Laboratory - Social media user behavior and digital interactions; USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute - Brain mapping and complex data visualization interfaces; Interaction Lab - Human-computer interaction research

   Industry Partners: Procter & Gamble, Colgate Palmolive, E&J Gallo Winery, SWIM Social, Capital Group, Mercury Insurance

   Career Outcomes: | Top Employers: Google | Common Roles: Digital marketing, Brand marketing, UX/UI design, Web development, Software engineering, Product marketing

   Notable Faculty: Thanassis Rikakis (dean of USC Iovine and Young Academy)

   Admissions:

4. #4. The University of Texas at Dallas Bachelor's UX Design Program

   Hakia ranks The University of Texas at Dallas as the #4 bachelor's in ux design degree program. Location: Richardson, TX | Type: Public | Tuition: $14,564/year | Graduation Rate: 77% | Score: 72.2

   What makes The University of Texas at Dallas stand out: UT Dallas uniquely positions UX design within a broader arts-technology ecosystem, offering the only Certificate in Applied Experience Design and Research that can be paired with any major, while housing cutting-edge research labs like the VAST VR Lab that collaborates with the FAA on aerospace maintenance applications.

   Hakia Insight: The University of Texas at Dallas graduates earn $5,900,096,000, driven by the program's industry connections and hands-on ux design curriculum.

   Program Overview: The University of Texas at Dallas offers UX Design education through multiple pathways across different schools, creating a comprehensive ecosystem for aspiring user experience professionals. The primary offering is the Certificate in Applied Experience Design and Research through the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology, which emphasizes practical, human-centered thinking and provides insight into creating intuitive digital experiences. This certificate can be pursued alongside other degrees or as a standalone credential. Students can also explore UX design through the Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (ATEC) program - recently rebranded as Media Arts and Design (MAD) effective Fall 2025 - which offers concentrations in Emerging Media Arts at the undergraduate level and Creative Practice at the MFA level. The interdisciplinary approach blends art, technology, design, engineering, science, and humanities to create innovative solutions in an idea-driven maker-culture environment.

   Degree Programs: Certificate; BA in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (ATEC) (4 years); BA in Media Arts and Design (MAD) (4 years); MA in Media Arts and Design; MFA in Media Arts and Design; PhD in Media Arts and Design; Certificate in Applied Experience Design and Research (4 courses)

   Research Labs: ArtSciLab - Transdisciplinary research at the intersection of art and science, user experience design; 3D Studio - Three-dimensional design and modeling; Anechoic Chamber and Transmedia Studio - Audio and transmedia production; experimenta.l. Animation Lab - Animation research and production; LabSynthE - Synthesis and emerging media; MENARAH - Research lab activities; Mograph Lab - Motion graphics research; Narrative Systems Research Lab - Narrative and storytelling systems; Public Interactives Research Lab (PIRL) - Public interactive media; The Studio for Mediating Play - Play and game-based interactions; VAST Lab - Extended Reality (XR) research for aerospace maintenance; Research in Art, Rematerialization + Ecology (RARE) - Art, ecology, and rematerialization

   Industry Partners: Dell Technologies, Capital One, Intuit, Sabre, Cisco Systems, AT&T, Siemens, General Motors, Fossil, J.C. Penney, Visionist Inc., FAA

   Career Outcomes: | Top Employers: Dell Technologies, Capital One, Sabre, Cisco Systems, AT&T, Siemens, General Motors, Fossil, J.C. Penney | Common Roles: UX Designer

   Notable Faculty: Norm Cox (Professor of Practice, Design)

   Admissions:

5. #5. The University of Texas at Austin Bachelor's UX Design Program

   Hakia ranks The University of Texas at Austin as the #5 bachelor's in ux design degree program. Location: Austin, TX | Type: Public | Tuition: $11,678/year | Graduation Rate: 89% | Score: 68.8

   What makes The University of Texas at Austin stand out: UT Austin uniquely positions UX education across information science, traditional design, and healthcare through its pioneering M.A. in Design focused on Health program—the first collaboration of its kind between a design school and medical school to reimagine patient experiences and health services.

   Hakia Insight: The University of Texas at Austin's direct partnerships with Amazon and Dell Medical School give students a competitive edge through industry-embedded projects and recruiting pipelines.

   Program Overview: The University of Texas at Austin takes a unique multi-school approach to UX design education, offering programs across three distinct academic units that create rich interdisciplinary pathways. The School of Information's undergraduate Informatics program features a dedicated User Experience Design concentration, emphasizing human-centered design grounded in cognitive psychology and perception theory. Students master user research methodologies while exploring the broader societal impacts of design decisions. For graduate study, the Master of Science in Information Studies (MSIS) provides flexible UX specialization tracks, while the School of Design and Creative Technologies offers both traditional design degrees with interaction design components and an innovative M.A. in Design focused on Health—a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Dell Medical School. The programs benefit from state-of-the-art facilities including the Information eXperience Lab (IX Lab), dedicated to advancing human-computer interaction research, usability testing, and accessibility studies.

   Degree Programs: B.A./B.S. in Informatics with UX Design Concentration (4 years); Master of Science in Information Studies (MSIS) (2 years); B.F.A. in Design with Interaction Design (4 years); M.A. in Design focused on Health (10 months)

   Research Labs: Information eXperience Lab (IX Lab) - State-of-the-art research facility advancing human-computer interaction, UX, usability, accessibility, and human-information processing

   Industry Partners: Amazon, Dell Medical School

   Career Outcomes: | Top Employers: Amazon | Common Roles: UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Human Factors Specialist, Web and Mobile App Designer

   Admissions:

6. #6. Texas A & M University-College Station Bachelor's UX Design Program

   Hakia ranks Texas A & M University-College Station as the #6 bachelor's in ux design degree program. Location: College Station, TX | Type: Public | Tuition: $9,003/year | Graduation Rate: 84% | Score: 68.6

   What makes Texas A & M University-College Station stand out: Texas A&M Visualization is one of only a handful of programs nationwide that equally stresses both technical and artistic aspects of digital media, with an unrivaled track record in student placement at top animation studios and an intensive Summer Industry Course where students work 10 weeks under mentorship from professionals at ILM, Pixar, Disney, and Dreamworks.

   Hakia Insight: Texas A & M University-College Station's industry network — including Industrial Light & Magic and Pixar — provides students with internship and hiring pathways.

   Program Overview: Texas A&M's Master of Science in Visualization sits within the College of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts, representing a unique fusion of art and technology that few universities offer at the graduate level. This 32-credit program integrates artistic creativity with scientific rigor, preparing students to become 'technical artists' through studio-based coursework spanning computer animation, interactive design, user experience design, virtual reality, and data visualization. Students can choose between thesis and non-thesis tracks, with the thesis option requiring 8 hours of research culminating in a public defense, while the non-thesis route focuses on a practical capstone project executed over one semester. The program typically takes two years to complete and is offered exclusively on-campus in College Station, emphasizing hands-on learning through creative application.

   Degree Programs: BS; MFA; MS; PhD

   Research Labs: Virtual Production Institute - Virtual production techniques for entertainment media, architectural visualization, manufacturing, and live performances; Institute for Applied Creativity - Interdisciplinary research at the intersection of arts and technology

   Industry Partners: Industrial Light & Magic, Pixar, Disney, Dreamworks, Rhythm & Hues, Reel FX

   Career Outcomes: | Common Roles: visual development, production management, asset development, technical artistry, UI/UX development, game design, game level design, game asset development

   Notable Faculty: Dr. Tracy Anne Hammond (Computer Science & Engineering, Sketch Recognition)

   Admissions:

7. #7. University of Florida Bachelor's UX Design Program

   Hakia ranks University of Florida as the #7 bachelor's in ux design degree program. Location: Gainesville, FL | Type: Public | Tuition: $4,477/year | Graduation Rate: 95% | Score: 66.3

   What makes University of Florida stand out: Dynamic, research-driven program where creativity meets critical thinking, rooted in experimentation and driven by purpose with a future-focused approach that challenges students to design with intention

   Program Overview: UF offers graphic design programs focused on research-driven, community-centered design practice with over 50 years of history. The programs blend studio practice, collaboration and design research to foster work that is socially conscious, sustainable and innovative.

   Degree Programs: BFA (4 years); MFA (MxD); MA

   Research Labs: Mint Design Studio - research-driven, community-centered design practice

   Career Outcomes: | Common Roles: UI/UX, art/creative direction, information design, editorial design, design strategy

   Notable Faculty: Maria Rogal (Professor, Graphic Design/Design & Visual Communications); Dori Griffin (Associate Professor, Graphic Design/Design & Visual Communications); Eury Kim (Assistant Professor, Graphic Design/Design & Visual Communications); Brian L. Slawson (Associate Professor, Graphic Design/Design & Visual Communications)

   Admissions:

8. #8. University of Houston Bachelor's UX Design Program

   Hakia ranks University of Houston as the #8 bachelor's in ux design degree program. Location: Houston, TX | Type: Public | Tuition: $8,685/year | Graduation Rate: 91% | Score: 64.8

   What makes University of Houston stand out: UH is in the early stages of developing UX/UI design curriculum, with advisors noting they are 'just getting to start-up things for UX/UI design'

   Hakia Insight: University of Houston's industry network — including Photon Auto and TexPower EV Technologies — provides students with internship and hiring pathways.

   Program Overview: University of Houston does not have a dedicated UX design program, but offers UX-related courses through various departments. Students can take individual courses like User Experience (UX) Principles and digital media classes to build UX skills.

   Degree Programs: Master of Science in Industrial Design (2 years (potentially 3 years for non-ID background students))

   Research Labs: PXD LAB - Product Experience Design and UX research; Construction Robotics and Fabrication Technology (CRAFT) Lab - Fabrication and materials research; Community Design Resource Center - Community design and urban planning; QuadZero Studio - Climate-conscious architecture and resilient city design

   Industry Partners: Photon Auto, TexPower EV Technologies, IQP (Integrated Quantum Photonics), Amazon, NASA

   Career Outcomes: | Common Roles: UX/UI

   Notable Faculty: Jeff Feng (Healthcare and Medical Design, Innovation Process); Mark Kimbrough (Design Branding and Practice, Design Management); Min Kang (AI & Emerging Technologies in Systems Design, AI in Education); Elham Morshedzadeh (Healthcare Design, Telehealth, User Research); Chorong Park (Age-friendly HCI/HRI/XR, Kansei Engineering for Older Adults); George Chow (Design for Sustainability); Gordon Vos (Human Factors, Aerospace Ergonomics, Automation and AI)

   Admissions:

9. #9. Southern New Hampshire University Bachelor's UX Design Program

   Hakia ranks Southern New Hampshire University as the #9 bachelor's in ux design degree program. Location: Manchester, NH | Type: Private | Tuition: $15,450/year | Graduation Rate: 67% | Score: 60.4

   What makes Southern New Hampshire University stand out: SNHU's program combines flexibility through hybrid delivery with systems-thinking curriculum and access to a broad tech industry network cultivated at scale.

   Hakia Insight: Southern New Hampshire University graduates earn $92,750, driven by the program's industry connections and hands-on ux design curriculum.

   Program Overview: SNHU's UX design program capitalizes on the university's substantial online infrastructure to offer flexible learning pathways while maintaining rigorous design education. The curriculum emphasizes systems thinking—teaching students to design cohesive experiences across multiple touchpoints and platforms rather than isolated interfaces. Industry-relevant specializations include e-commerce UX, SaaS product design, and user experience research, with course sequencing that moves from foundational interaction design into advanced topics like design systems and design operations. SNHU's scale creates unusual advantages: partnerships with major tech companies provide guest lectures, case study materials, and internship pipelines; the large alumni network in product and design roles creates mentorship opportunities. The program's online-first design means asynchronous collaboration is embedded into coursework, teaching students to work effectively with distributed teams—increasingly the reality in tech. Graduates report strong outcomes in mid-market and enterprise product roles, where SNHU's emphasis on stakeholder communication and design documentation aligns with organizational needs. The hybrid format accommodates working professionals seeking to transition into UX, a demographic that brings real industry context to class discussions.

   Degree Programs: BS in UX Design (4 years); MS in UX Design (2 years); BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts (4 years); BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts - UX Design Concentration (4 years); BA in User Experience Design (4 years)

   Industry Partners: AIGA, Mosaic Communications

   Career Outcomes:

   Notable Faculty: Dr. Marlyn Tadros (Social media approaches to education and new technologies); Tracy Dow (Commercial art and graphic design); Sloan Kelly (Graphic design curriculum development)

   Admissions:

10. #10. Northeastern University Bachelor's UX Design Program

    Hakia ranks Northeastern University as the #10 bachelor's in ux design degree program. Location: Boston, MA | Type: Private | Tuition: $62,000/year | Score: 60.0

    What makes Northeastern University stand out: Northeastern's integrated co-op model alternates classroom and paid professional placements, giving UX students 12–18 months of real-world experience before graduation.

    Hakia Insight: Northeastern University's industry network — including Apple and IBM — provides students with internship and hiring pathways.

    Program Overview: Northeastern's UX design education is anchored in its celebrated co-op program, which structures the entire degree around alternating semesters of classroom learning and paid professional work—typically three to six months at a time. Students in the interaction design concentration within Computer Science or the Human-Centered Design pathway have access to placements at Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, and dozens of Boston-area design agencies and startups that actively recruit Northeastern students. What makes the program compelling is the scaffolded skill-building: early semesters focus on research methods and foundational design thinking, while later semesters assume students have real workplace experience they can synthesize and build upon. The faculty includes practitioners who maintain active consulting relationships, bringing current industry challenges directly into seminars and critiques. Northeastern's location in Boston—home to significant innovation hubs in healthcare, fintech, and enterprise software—means student placements aren't abstract; they're working on products with millions of users and substantial business impact. The program also emphasizes research literacy, encouraging students to engage with the Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory and TIER (Technology for Educational Equity and Resilience) initiatives, connecting design work to social impact projects. Graduates consistently report that the combination of theory-informed classroom instruction and repeated cycles of professional application creates a level of job readiness that shortcuts typical onboarding timelines at their first full-time roles.

    Degree Programs: BS in Computer Science with Interaction Design concentration (4 years); MS in Human-Centered Design (1.5–2 years)

    Research Labs: Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory - User research, usability testing, and human-centered design evaluation; TIER (Technology for Educational Equity and Resilience) - Design for social impact and educational technology

    Industry Partners: Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, Wayfair, HubSpot

    Career Outcomes: Placement Rate: 95%+

    Admissions:

    Accreditations: ABET accredited (Computer Science)