2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Virginia 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 Master’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Virginia, there were 920 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,840 and $28,070 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 75 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 4 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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

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 Master’s in Virginia 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 Master’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 4 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in Virginia

#1

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia

#2 in overall quality

$29,228 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Commonwealth University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k. Virginia Commonwealth University is located in Richmond, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

VCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at VCU are $29,228, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at VCU

#2

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

$37,410 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Fairfax, Virginia, and it awarded 2 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

GMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at GMU are $37,410, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at GMU

#3

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia

#1 in overall quality

$20,116 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Marymount University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k. Marymount is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Arlington, Virginia. It awarded 16 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Marymount also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at Marymount University are $20,116, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Marymount Design & Applied Arts Report

#4

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia

#3 in overall quality

$8,349 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Liberty University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 45 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Liberty University, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Liberty University are $8,349, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Liberty University

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k)

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.

Featured Performing Arts Schools

Request Info

Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More >