2023 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
73
Ranked Colleges
5,375
Degrees Awarded
$7,300
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Design & Applied Arts is the 36th most popular major in the country with 36,301 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, design and applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,426 and had an average of $25,481 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 5,375 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,734 and $25,957 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 73 colleges that offered a degree in design and applied arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great design and applied arts programs and cost less that 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 6 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $245 for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Northwestern
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 68 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full UW - Madison Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 105 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,858 for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at UIUC
Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 63 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 43 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Notre Dame is $9,872 for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Notre Dame Design & Applied Arts Report
Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 38 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington Design & Applied Arts Report
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 97 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $6,927 for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Michigan State University
Madison Area Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Madison College is a fairly large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 94 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Madison College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Madison College is $7,567 for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Madison College Design & Applied Arts Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $7,068 for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Design & Applied Arts Report
Sinclair Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sinclair Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 153 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,594 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sinclair Community College.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Sinclair Community College
Ferris State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ferris State University is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 112 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ferris has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ferris is $6,577 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Ferris Design & Applied Arts Report
University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a medium-sized school located in Menomonie, Wisconsin that handed out 135 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Stout did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stout is $10,074 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Wisconsin - Stout
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IUPUI is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,026 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at IUPUI
With a ranking of #14, Ball State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 39 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Ball State also took the #21 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $8,273 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Ball State University
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 253 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $15,061 for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad 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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UC
Cuyahoga Community College District ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cuyahoga Community College District is a fairly large public school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 76 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,141 for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cuyahoga Community College District.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Cuyahoga Community College District
Ivy Tech Community College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ivy Tech Community College is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 190 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Ivy Tech Community College is $6,213 for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Ivy Tech Community College
University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 83 students in 2020-2021.
UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,549 for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.
Full UIC Design & Applied Arts Report
Milwaukee Area Technical College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. MATC is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Milwaukee Area Technical College is $7,167 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at MATC
Oakland University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,949 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Oakland Design & Applied Arts Report
Kalamazoo Valley Community College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 14 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Kalamazoo Valley Community College is $2,426 for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Miami University - Oxford came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Oxford, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 76 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
Miami University - Oxford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $13,956 for great lakes region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Miami University - Oxford
Western Technical College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this small public school handed out 28 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Technical College is $7,743 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Western Technical College Design & Applied Arts Report
Gateway Technical College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Gateway Technical College is a public institution located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 54 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Gateway Technical College is $6,921 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Gateway Technical College
Kent State University at Kent landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 238 students in 2020-2021.
Kent State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $13,793 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Kent State University at Kent.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Kent State
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