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

11 Ranked Colleges
229 Degrees Awarded
$14,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's in Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee, there were 385 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $24,367 and $28,499 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 229 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 11 colleges that offer a degree in design and applied arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent design and applied arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

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 Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 11 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

UT Chattanooga also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is $8,108 for tennessee bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, this large public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

UT Knoxville also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend UT Knoxville is $10,224 for tennessee bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

#3

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Middle Tennessee State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Middle Tennessee State University, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $8,919 for tennessee bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Middle Tennessee State University.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Design & Applied Arts Report

#4

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend East Tennessee State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. East Tennessee State University is a fairly large school located in Johnson City, Tennessee that handed out 36 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ETSU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $10,632 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend East Tennessee State University.

Full ETSU Design & Applied Arts Report

#5

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Memphis landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

UofM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Memphis is $10,256 for tennessee bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at UofM

#6

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, Tennessee
#6 in overall quality

Freed-Hardeman University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Freed-Hardeman University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Henderson, Tennessee. It awarded 3 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

FHU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend Freed-Hardeman University is $13,512 for tennessee bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at FHU

#7

Belmont University

Nashville, Tennessee

Belmont University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Belmont also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Belmont University is $25,980 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Belmont University

#8

Milligan University

Milligan College, Tennessee
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Milligan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Milligan College, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Milligan also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Milligan is $14,089 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Milligan

#9

Lipscomb University

Nashville, Tennessee

Lipscomb University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Lipscomb did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lipscomb is $20,036 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Lipscomb University

#10

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, Tennessee

Southern Adventist University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Collegedale, Tennessee, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Southern Adventist also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Adventist University is $19,346 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southern Adventist Design & Applied Arts Report

#11

Nossi College of Art

Madison, Tennessee

Nossi College of Art did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Madison, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Nossi College of Art, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $20,776 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Nossi College of Art.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Nossi College of Art Design & Applied Arts Report

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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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