Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Design & Applied Arts

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

54 Ranked Colleges
3,029 Degrees Awarded
$10,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 Far Western US region, there were 6,083 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,399 and $27,675 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,029 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 54 colleges that offered 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $7,467 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 93%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UW Seattle

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 44 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,254 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Design & Applied Arts Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSULB has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 89%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Long Beach

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 52 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,731 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Fresno State

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #5 spot on the list. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 235 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Davis has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $10,769 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 California - Davis

#6

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

With a ranking of #6, Washington State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Pullman, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

Wazzu not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $11,337 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Washington State University.

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%.

Full Washington State University Design & Applied Arts Report

#7

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. WWU is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 66 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k list, WWU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $11,228 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Western Washington University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Western Washington University Design & Applied Arts Report

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $7,823 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Sacramento

With a ranking of #9, University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNLV is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 39 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNLV has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,880 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNLV.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

#10

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 153 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $11,752 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Jose State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at San Jose State

#16 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #16 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,974 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UCSD

#12

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 150 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $12,517 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at San Francisco State University

#13

Bellevue College

Bellevue, Washington

Bellevue College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. BC is a fairly large public school situated in Bellevue, Washington. It awarded 36 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Bellevue College is $7,478 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Bellevue College

#14

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 33 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $16,252 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full USC Design & Applied Arts Report

Lake Washington Institute of Technology came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Kirkland, Washington, this small public school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,852 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lake Washington Institute of Technology.

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

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 89 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,630 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Design & Applied Arts Report

#17

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#23 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 78 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $11,793 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Design & Applied Arts Report

#18

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon

Portland State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Portland, Oregon is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 83 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Portland State University is $11,440 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Portland State University

#19

University of Oregon

Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Oregon is located in Eugene, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UO, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Oregon is $13,108 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The 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 more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Oregon

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $9,567 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Monterey Bay

California State University - Chico ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Chico is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 124 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $11,576 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Chico State Design & Applied Arts Report

#22

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington

Central Washington University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ellensburg, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Central Washington University is $11,423 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Central Washington University

#23

Oregon State University

Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Oregon State is a large public school situated in Corvallis, Oregon. It awarded 100 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k list, Oregon State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $15,770 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oregon State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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 85%.

Full Oregon State Design & Applied Arts Report

#24

Western Oregon University

Monmouth, Oregon

Western Oregon University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Monmouth, Oregon is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Oregon University is $16,858 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Western Oregon State College Design & Applied Arts Report

#25

Whitworth University

Spokane, Washington

Whitworth University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Whitworth is a private not-for-profit institution located in Spokane, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,561 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Whitworth University.

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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Whitworth University

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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

Find Schools Near You