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2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k

13 Ranked Colleges
697 Degrees Awarded
$13,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Design & Applied Arts is the 34th most popular major in the country with 36,854 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Rocky Mountains region, there were 1,129 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $24,836 and $27,386 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 697 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,111 and $23,874 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 13 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.

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

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Rocky Mountains Region

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. BYU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $8,834 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Brigham Young University - Provo Design & Applied Arts Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Utah Valley University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Orem, Utah, this large public school awarded 149 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

UVU also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Utah Valley University is $7,334 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Utah Valley University

#3

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Utah landed the #3 spot on the list. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, U of U has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $11,511 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U of U.

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 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Utah Design & Applied Arts Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Weber State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Ogden, Utah, this large public school awarded 33 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, WSU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $9,790 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WSU.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Weber State University

#5

University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Idaho. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Moscow, Idaho is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

U of I did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Idaho is $10,877 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Idaho Design & Applied Arts Report

Utah State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Logan, Utah, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

USU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Utah State University is $10,643 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Utah State University Design & Applied Arts Report

#7

Southern Utah University

Cedar City, Utah

Southern Utah University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Utah University is located in Cedar City, Utah and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

Southern Utah University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $11,779 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Utah University.

Full Southern Utah University Design & Applied Arts Report

Metropolitan State University of Denver came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. MSU Denver is located in Denver, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

MSU Denver did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $11,531 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MSU Denver.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at MSU Denver

#9

Boise State University

Boise, Idaho

Boise State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Boise, Idaho, this large public school handed out 92 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Boise State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $12,000 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Boise State.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Boise State University

#10

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, Colorado

Colorado Mesa University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Colorado Mesa University is a public institution located in Grand Junction, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado Mesa also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $12,708 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Colorado Mesa.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Colorado Mesa University

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Lakewood, Colorado, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at RMCAD, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $23,752 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design

#12

University of Denver

Denver, Colorado

University of Denver ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. DU is located in Denver, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

DU also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend University of Denver is $19,659 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Denver

#13

Independence University

Salt Lake City, Utah

Independence University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 48 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Branch of Stevens-Henager College also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Independence University is $26,563 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Independence University

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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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