2026 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools in the New England Region
[Other Design & Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/design-and-applied-arts-other/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong other design & applied arts education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for other design & applied arts students.
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2026 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools in the New England Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in other design & applied arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools
University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth tops our 2026 list of the best value other design & applied arts schools in the New England Region. Set in the suburb of North Dartmouth, University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,612, with out-of-state students paying around $32,567. Other Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Other Design & Applied Arts graduates of University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth earn a median of $54,669 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 91%.
Massachusetts College Of Art And Design came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value other design & applied arts schools. Massachusetts College Of Art And Design is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Boston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,400, compared with $43,400 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,500 to complete the other design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, other design & applied arts degree recipients from Massachusetts College Of Art And Design generally make around $24,706. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 76%.
A rank of #3 makes Lesley University one of the best values for other design & applied arts. Set in the city of Cambridge, Lesley University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $34,256 in tuition and fees. Other Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $26,500 in student loans. Early-career other design & applied arts graduates make about $25,227. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
Northeastern University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value other design & applied arts schools. Northeastern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $66,162. Students borrow a median of $28,250 to complete the other design & applied arts program here. Other Design & Applied Arts graduates of Northeastern University earn a median of $49,727 early in their careers. Set against $28,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 5%.
Students looking for strong value in other design & applied arts will find it at Montserrat College Of Art, which ranked #5. Montserrat College Of Art is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Beverly. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,690. Typical student debt for other design & applied arts graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, other design & applied arts degree recipients from Montserrat College Of Art generally make around $20,704. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
