2027 Best Value Commercial & Advertising Art Schools in the The Plains States Region

[Commercial & Advertising Art](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/commercial-and-advertising-art/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools to find the best return on investment for commercial & advertising art students.
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2027 Best Value Commercial & Advertising Art Schools in the The Plains States Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the commercial & advertising art degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Commercial & Advertising Art Schools
For return on investment in commercial & advertising art, no school beat Metropolitan Community College Area this year. Located in the city of Omaha, Metropolitan Community College Area is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,375, with out-of-state students paying around $4,950. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $12,526 in student loans. Soon after graduation, commercial & advertising art degree recipients from Metropolitan Community College Area generally make around $29,902. Set against $12,526 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Central Community College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value commercial & advertising art schools. Set in the city of Grand Island, Central Community College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,360, compared with $4,800 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $10,277. Soon after graduation, commercial & advertising art degree recipients from Central Community College generally make around $43,218. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at St Charles Community College earned it the #3 place for commercial & advertising art. Located in the suburb of Cottleville, St Charles Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,810, with out-of-state students paying around $7,620. Students borrow a median of $12,606 to complete the commercial & advertising art program here. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of St Charles Community College earn a median of $47,228 early in their careers. Set against $12,606 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Southeast Community College Area earned it the #4 place for commercial & advertising art. Located in the city of Lincoln, Southeast Community College Area is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,444, compared with $4,032 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $14,935. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Southeast Community College Area earn a median of $44,877 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Metropolitan Community College Kansas City came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value commercial & advertising art schools. Set in the city of Kansas City, Metropolitan Community College Kansas City is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,630, compared with $9,600 for out-of-state students. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $12,281 in student loans. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Metropolitan Community College Kansas City earn a median of $46,660 early in their careers. Set against $12,281 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Bismarck State College earned the #6 position for value in commercial & advertising art this year. Set in the city of Bismarck, Bismarck State College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,247 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,331. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $13,340 in student loans. Soon after graduation, commercial & advertising art degree recipients from Bismarck State College generally make around $61,364. Set against $13,340 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Des Moines Area Community College came in at #7 for value in commercial & advertising art this year. Set in the suburb of Ankeny, Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,790, while out-of-state students pay about $6,690. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $13,625. Early-career commercial & advertising art graduates make about $25,265. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Alexandria Technical And Community College placed #8 among the best values for commercial & advertising art. Alexandria Technical And Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Alexandria. Students from in state pay about $6,236 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete the commercial & advertising art program here. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Alexandria Technical And Community College earn a median of $31,830 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Central Missouri placed #9 among the best values for commercial & advertising art. University Of Central Missouri is a large public school located in the town of Warrensburg. Students from in state pay about $10,050 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $18,600. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $25,576 in student loans. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of University Of Central Missouri earn a median of $33,921 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Central Missouri admits about 64% of applicants.
Bemidji State University placed #10 among the best values for commercial & advertising art. Bemidji State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Bemidji. Students from in state pay about $10,237 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the commercial & advertising art program here. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Bemidji State University earn a median of $48,984 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 56% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Minnesota Duluth placed #11 among the best values for commercial & advertising art. Located in the city of Duluth, University Of Minnesota Duluth is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,608, compared with $20,134 for out-of-state students. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $24,800 in student loans. Soon after graduation, commercial & advertising art degree recipients from University Of Minnesota Duluth generally make around $31,337. Set against $24,800 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Upper Iowa University ranked #12 on our 2027 list of the best value commercial & advertising art schools. Set in the rural area of Fayette, Upper Iowa University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,475. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $39,780 in student loans. Early-career commercial & advertising art graduates make about $31,122. That is a strong return on a $39,780 median debt. Upper Iowa University admits about 96% of applicants.
Drake University came in at #13 for value in commercial & advertising art this year. Drake University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Des Moines. Students from in state pay about $51,960 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $22,273. Soon after graduation, commercial & advertising art degree recipients from Drake University generally make around $56,228. Set against $22,273 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 64%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 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.