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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region

73 Ranked Colleges
4,217 Degrees Awarded
$11,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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 Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 36,854 people earned their degree in design and applied arts, making the major the 34th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, design and applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,542 and had an average of $27,114 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 7,328 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,202 and $27,301 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,217 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,278 and $24,587 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 73 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in design and applied arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality design and applied arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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 design and applied arts program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The design 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 Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools 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 Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region

#1

Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Fashion Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 560 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

FIT SUNY also took the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fashion Institute of Technology is $7,123 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Fashion Institute of Technology

#2

Queens College

Queens, New York

Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Queens College landed the #2 spot on the list. QC is a public institution located in Queens, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for QC is $1,255 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at QC

#3

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lehman College landed the #3 spot on the list. Lehman College is a fairly large public school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 14 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lehman College is $234 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Lehman

#4

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Farmingdale State College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Farmingdale, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 45 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,469 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Design & Applied Arts at Farmingdale State College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New York City College of Technology. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 129 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for New York City College of Technology is $2,456 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at City Tech

#6

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #6, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Carnegie Mellon has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon University is $12,542 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Carnegie Mellon Design & Applied Arts Report

With a ranking of #7, University of Maryland - Baltimore County did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,820 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Maryland - Baltimore County.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Maryland - Baltimore County

#8

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, New York
#11 in overall quality

SUNY Oneonta ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SUNY Oneonta is a public institution located in Oneonta, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY Oneonta also took the #11 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $11,106 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SUNY Oneonta.

The low 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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at SUNY Oneonta

#9

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Delaware is located in Newark, Delaware and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

UD also took the #5 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UD is $11,487 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive 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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Delaware Design & Applied Arts Report

#10

Centenary University

Hackettstown, New Jersey

Centenary University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Centenary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hackettstown, New Jersey. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Centenary is $15,601 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Centenary

#11

SUNY New Paltz

New Paltz, New York

SUNY New Paltz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in New Paltz, New York, this medium-sized public school awarded 35 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, SUNY New Paltz has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SUNY New Paltz is $11,543 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, 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 87%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at SUNY New Paltz

#12

Montclair State University

Montclair, New Jersey

Montclair State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Montclair, New Jersey, this large public school handed out 140 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Montclair State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $13,072 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Montclair State.

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 more about Design & Applied Arts at Montclair State

#13

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York

SUNY Fredonia came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Fredonia, New York, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SUNY Fredonia is $10,770 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at SUNY Fredonia

With a ranking of #14, New Jersey Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Newark, New Jersey, this fairly large public school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

NJIT also took the #14 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NJIT is $12,853 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at NJIT

#15

SUNY Oswego

Oswego, New York

SUNY Oswego came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Oswego, New York, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Oswego is $9,698 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Design & Applied Arts at SUNY Oswego

#16

Syracuse University

Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Syracuse, New York, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Syracuse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $17,164 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Syracuse University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Syracuse

#17

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, this large public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Rutgers New Brunswick did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rutgers University - New Brunswick is $13,545 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Rutgers University - New Brunswick

#18

Buffalo State

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo State did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Buffalo State is a medium-sized public school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 2 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Buffalo State is $9,347 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Buffalo State

Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Madison, New Jersey, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FDU is $14,630 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at FDU

#20

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #20, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is $15,083 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Design & Applied Arts Report

#21

Kean University

Union, New Jersey

Kean University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Kean University is a fairly large school located in Union, New Jersey that handed out 91 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Kean also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $14,844 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Kean.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Kean

#22

George Washington University

Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, GWU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend George Washington University is $17,614 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 88%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at George Washington University

#23

Berkeley College - Woodland Park

Woodland Park, New Jersey

With a ranking of #23, Berkeley College - Woodland Park did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Woodland Park, New Jersey, this small private for-profit school awarded 43 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Berkeley College - Woodland Park is $14,600 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Berkeley College - Woodland Park

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a medium-sized school located in Troy, New York that handed out 36 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

RPI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for RPI is $22,662 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, 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 91%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

#25

Purchase College

Purchase, New York

Purchase College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Purchase College is a public institution located in Purchase, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,928 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purchase College.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Purchase College

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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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