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

13 Ranked Colleges
697 Degrees Awarded
$14,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

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 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 13 colleges that offer 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $30-$48k) 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 $30-$48k list. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 107 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $10,425 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

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 92%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at BYU

#2

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Utah. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

U of U also took the #2 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Utah is $13,192 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Utah

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Utah Valley University landed the #3 spot on the list. UVU is a large public school situated in Orem, Utah. It awarded 149 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UVU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UVU is $8,047 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Utah Valley University Design & Applied Arts Report

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Weber State University landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ogden, Utah, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WSU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Weber State University is $10,980 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full WSU Design & Applied Arts Report

#5

University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Idaho landed the #5 spot on the list. U of I is a fairly large public school situated in Moscow, Idaho. It awarded 1 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

U of I not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #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 $11,735 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

With a ranking of #6, Utah State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Logan, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

USU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend USU is $12,034 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at USU

Metropolitan State University of Denver came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Metropolitan State University of Denver is a public institution located in Denver, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU Denver also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for MSU Denver is $12,219 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Metropolitan State University of Denver Design & Applied Arts Report

#8

Southern Utah University

Cedar City, Utah

Southern Utah University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southern Utah University is a fairly large school located in Cedar City, Utah that handed out 21 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Southern Utah University also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Southern Utah University is $11,759 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Southern Utah University

#9

Boise State University

Boise, Idaho

With a ranking of #9, Boise State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Boise State University is a public institution located in Boise, Idaho. The school has a large population, and it awarded 92 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Boise State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boise State University is $13,146 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Boise State University

With a ranking of #10, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design is a small school located in Lakewood, Colorado that handed out 118 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

RMCAD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design is $24,819 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design

#11

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, Colorado

With a ranking of #11, Colorado Mesa University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Colorado Mesa University is a medium-sized school located in Grand Junction, Colorado that handed out 19 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado Mesa also took the #12 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado Mesa is $13,624 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Colorado Mesa

#12

University of Denver

Denver, Colorado

University of Denver landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

DU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $20,735 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Denver.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full DU Design & Applied Arts Report

#13

Independence University

Salt Lake City, Utah

Independence University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

Branch of Stevens-Henager College also took the #13 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Branch of Stevens-Henager College is $28,298 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Branch of Stevens-Henager College

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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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