by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Other Design & Applied Arts is the 370th most popular major in the country with 1,336 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
For this year’s “Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking, we looked at 37 colleges that offer a degree in other design and applied arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great other design and applied arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the other design and applied arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
The other design & applied arts school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for other design & applied arts students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ferris State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools. Ferris State University is a public institution located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Ferris is $12,213 for Other Design & Applied Arts students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools list. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified ’s other design and applied arts students in 2020-2021.
UW - Stout also took the #24 spot in our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stout is $15,589 for Other Design & Applied Arts students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 71 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also took the #18 spot in our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,054 for Other Design & Applied Arts students per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full California State University - Long Beach Other Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 134 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State also made our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $16,542 for Other Design & Applied Arts students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Other Design & Applied Arts at San Jose State University
Out of the 37 schools in the Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #5 spot on the list. ASU - Skysong is a large school located in Scottsdale, Arizona that handed out 27 ’s other design and applied arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Other Design & Applied Arts at Arizona State University - Skysong
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #6. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,377 for other design & applied arts students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Other Design & Applied Arts at Purdue University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #7, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s other design and applied arts degrees to qualified students.
UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $17,878 for Other Design & Applied Arts students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Other Design & Applied Arts at UMN Twin Cities
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 18 ’s other design and applied arts degrees in 2020-2021.
UC also made our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for UC is $22,415 for Other Design & Applied Arts students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Other Design & Applied Arts Report
Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools list. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s other design and applied arts degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
ASU - Tempe also made our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $13,107 for Other Design & Applied Arts students per year to attend ASU - Tempe.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Arizona State University - Tempe Other Design & Applied Arts Report
San Francisco State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s other design and applied arts degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,459 for Other Design & Applied Arts students per year to attend SFSU.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Other Design & Applied Arts at San Francisco State University
California State University - Sacramento came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 4 ’s other design and applied arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $11,178 for Other Design & Applied Arts students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Other Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Sacramento
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools list. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 3 ’s other design and applied arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our other design & applied arts students list, UIC has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,214 for Other Design & Applied Arts students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Other Design & Applied Arts at University of Illinois at Chicago
Fashion Institute of Technology landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. FIT SUNY is a medium-sized school located in New York, New York that handed out 32 ’s other design and applied arts degrees in 2020-2021.
FIT SUNY also took the #1 spot in our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,389 for Other Design & Applied Arts students per year to attend Fashion Institute of Technology.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Fashion Institute of Technology Other Design & Applied Arts Report
Northeastern University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s other design and applied arts degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern is $29,714 for other design & applied arts students.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Other Design & Applied Arts at Northeastern University
University of Maryland - Baltimore County came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s other design and applied arts degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UMBC is $19,460 for other design & applied arts students.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Auburn University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Auburn, Alabama, and it awarded 11 ’s other design and applied arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our other design & applied arts students list, Auburn has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Auburn University is $24,018 for Other Design & Applied Arts students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 8 degrees to qualified ’s other design and applied arts students in 2020-2021.
Illinois Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Tech is $23,772 for Other Design & Applied Arts students.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Other Design & Applied Arts at Illinois Tech
With a ranking of #18, Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools list. This large school is located in Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 43 ’s other design and applied arts degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at VCU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $20,490 for Other Design & Applied Arts students per year to attend Virginia Commonwealth University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Other Design & Applied Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University
Oregon State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Located in Corvallis, Oregon, this large public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified ’s other design and applied arts students in 2020-2021.
Oregon State also took the #22 spot in our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oregon State University is $21,508 for other design & applied arts students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Washburn University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #20. Topeka, Kansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s other design and applied arts degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Washburn University is $14,339 for Other Design & Applied Arts students.
Lesley University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. This small school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 17 ’s other design and applied arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Lesley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lesley is $33,446 for Other Design & Applied Arts students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #22, Full Sail University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools list. Located in Winter Park, Florida, this large private for-profit school awarded 286 diplomas to qualified ’s other design and applied arts students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Full Sail University is $27,454 for Other Design & Applied Arts students.
Read full report on Other Design & Applied Arts at Full Sail University
With a ranking of #23, University of Baltimore did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools list. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s other design and applied arts degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,206 for Other Design & Applied Arts students per year to attend UB.
Read full report on Other Design & Applied Arts at University of Baltimore
University of Oregon came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. This large school is located in Eugene, Oregon, and it awarded 62 ’s other design and applied arts degrees in 2020-2021.
UO not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Other Design & Applied Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oregon is $18,047 for Other Design & Applied Arts students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Otterbein University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools ranking. Otterbein University is located in Westerville, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s other design and applied arts degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Otterbein is $22,881 for other design & applied arts students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Other Design & Applied Arts at Otterbein University
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
