2026 Best Value Art Education Schools in the Far Western Region
[Art Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-and-development/art-education/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 14 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for art education students.
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2026 Best Value Art Education Schools in the Far Western Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in art education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Art Education Schools
For return on investment in art education, no school beat California State University Long Beach this year. Set in the city of Long Beach, California State University Long Beach is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,374, while out-of-state students pay about $19,974. Typical student debt for art education graduates is $15,671. Soon after graduation, art education degree recipients from California State University Long Beach generally make around $50,982. That is a strong return on a $15,671 median debt. The acceptance rate is 46%.
A rank of #2 makes Eastern Washington University one of the best values for art education. Set in the town of Cheney, Eastern Washington University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,586, while out-of-state students pay about $26,583. Students borrow a median of $23,009 to complete the art education program here. Early-career art education graduates make about $41,914. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Eastern Washington University admits about 91% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in art education will find it at University Of Washington Seattle Campus, which ranked #3. University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Seattle. In-state tuition and fees average $12,973, compared with $43,209 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $16,481 to complete the art education program here. Soon after graduation, art education degree recipients from University Of Washington Seattle Campus generally make around $65,681. Set against $16,481 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 39%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Central Washington University earned it the #4 place for art education. Located in the town of Ellensburg, Central Washington University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,417, while out-of-state students pay about $27,526. Typical student debt for art education graduates is $23,377. Soon after graduation, art education degree recipients from Central Washington University generally make around $49,177. That is a strong return on a $23,377 median debt. The acceptance rate is 91%.
Brigham Young University Hawaii is a great value for students pursuing a degree in art education, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the town of Laie, Brigham Young University Hawaii is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $6,630 in tuition and fees. Art Education graduates of Brigham Young University Hawaii earn a median of $41,461 early in their careers. Brigham Young University Hawaii admits about 47% of applicants.
Western Washington University placed #6 among the best values for art education. Located in the city of Bellingham, Western Washington University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,582, with out-of-state students paying around $28,707. Typical student debt for art education graduates is $26,000. Art Education graduates of Western Washington University earn a median of $37,520 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Western Washington University admits about 93% of applicants.
Azusa Pacific University placed #7 among the best values for art education. Azusa Pacific University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Azusa. In-state tuition and fees average $44,458. Students borrow a median of $25,656 to complete the art education program here. Early-career art education graduates make about $64,084. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Lewis And Clark College earned the #8 position for value in art education this year. Located in the city of Portland, Lewis And Clark College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $64,828. Students borrow a median of $23,301 to complete the art education program here. Soon after graduation, art education degree recipients from Lewis And Clark College generally make around $52,369. That is a strong return on a $23,301 median debt. The acceptance rate is 78%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- 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 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.
