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2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

216 Ranked Colleges
5,098 Degrees Awarded
$11,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

Graphic Design is the 105th most popular major in the country with 8,541 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,098 graphic design graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 216 colleges that offer a degree in graphic design. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality graphic design programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the graphic design program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Graphic Design (With Aid)

#1

Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, New York
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 216 schools in the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Fashion Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. New York, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s graphic design degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

FIT SUNY also took the #6 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,523 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid per year to attend FIT SUNY.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Graphic Design at Fashion Institute of Technology

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $13,297 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Graphic Design Report

#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 216 schools in the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 24 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid list, UF has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $6,302 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at UF

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Graphic Design at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#5

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lehman College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in Bronx, New York, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $1,814 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid per year to attend Lehman College.

Full Lehman Graphic Design Report

#6

Queens College

Queens, New York

Queens College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Queens, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s graphic design degrees to 102 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend QC is $3,067 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at QC

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Graphic Design at California State University - Fresno

#8

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
Top 15% in overall quality

Appalachian State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Appalachian State is a public institution located in Boone, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Appalachian State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $13,920 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid per year to attend Appalachian State.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Appalachian State Graphic Design Report

#9

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#11 in overall quality

North Carolina State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. NC State is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 30 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina State University is $16,458 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Graphic Design at North Carolina State University

#8 in overall quality

Iowa State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $15,496 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Graphic Design at Iowa State University

#11

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Elizabeth City State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,350 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid per year to attend ECSU.

Read full report on Graphic Design at ECSU

#12

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#17 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a medium-sized school located in Menomonie, Wisconsin that handed out 54 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout also took the #17 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stout is $15,839 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 full report on Graphic Design at UW - Stout

Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, BYU also did well on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $13,322 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at Brigham Young University - Provo

#14

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#16 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $14,928 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Graphic Design at San Jose State

With a ranking of #15, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 18 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $8,355 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Graphic Design at USF Tampa

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s graphic design degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,979 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid per year to attend Sac State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 Graphic Design at California State University - Sacramento

University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 39 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,424 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid per year to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas.

Read more about Graphic Design at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

Top 15% in overall quality

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, ASU - Tempe is also in the top of our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $11,706 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Graphic Design Report

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 38 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s graphic design students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,312 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at UIC

#20

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
Top 25% in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s graphic design students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Saint Cloud State University is $14,267 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid.

Read full report on Graphic Design at Saint Cloud State University

#21

Montclair State University

Montclair, New Jersey
Top 20% in overall quality

Montclair State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Montclair State is a public institution located in Montclair, New Jersey. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Montclair State excels when it comes to graphic design quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Montclair State is $18,034 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at Montclair State

#22

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#13 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s graphic design degrees to 92 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,740 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Graphic Design at UMN Twin Cities

#23

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid list, Michigan State has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $19,173 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid per year to attend Michigan State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The 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 Graphic Design at Michigan State

Top 20% in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 89 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona excels when it comes to graphic design quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,734 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Graphic Design at Cal Poly Pomona

#25

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #25, Ferris State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Big Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s graphic design degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ferris is $12,889 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid.

Full Ferris Graphic Design Report

Rest of the Best 33 in Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 33 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon
#27

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#28

Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, Louisiana
#29

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#30

Weber State University

Ogden, Utah
#32

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia
#33

SUNY New Paltz

New Paltz, New York

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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