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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

48 Ranked Colleges
1,383 Degrees Awarded
$31,804 Avg Salary
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 the Plains States region, there were 2,352 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,931 and $22,419 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,383 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 48 colleges that offer a degree in design and applied arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality design and applied arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $11,832 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at WUSTL

#2

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 132 students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $12,556 for plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 227 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $14,161 for plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Iowa State University Design & Applied Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Duluth, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,438 for plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Minnesota - Duluth

#5

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#15 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Cloud State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Cloud State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Cloud State University is $13,373 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Saint Cloud State University Design & Applied Arts Report

#6 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UNL is a large school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 31 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,197 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UNL.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln Design & Applied Arts Report

#7

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa that handed out 36 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k list, UNI has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNI is $15,729 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 more about Design & Applied Arts at UNI

North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $15,686 for plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 North Dakota State University - Main Campus

Northwest Missouri State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Maryville, Missouri, this medium-sized public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northwest Missouri State University is $11,988 for plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Northwest Missouri State University

Minnesota State University - Moorhead ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Minnesota State University - Moorhead is located in Moorhead, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

MSU Moorhead also took the #16 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Moorhead is $15,002 for plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Design & Applied Arts Report

#11

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

With a ranking of #11, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Manhattan, Kansas, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend K -State is $16,889 for plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at K -State

#12

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #12, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UND is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 9 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k list, UND has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UND is $15,109 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of North Dakota

#13

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

With a ranking of #13, Bemidji State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Bemidji, Minnesota, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Bemidji State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,001 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Bemidji State University.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Bemidji State University

#14

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Central Missouri is a public institution located in Warrensburg, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $13,977 for plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Central Missouri.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Central Missouri

#15

Bellevue University

Bellevue, Nebraska

With a ranking of #15, Bellevue University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bellevue, Nebraska is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Bellevue University is $16,615 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Bellevue University Design & Applied Arts Report

#16

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri
#22 in overall quality

Lindenwood University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Saint Charles, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

Lindenwood University also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $16,340 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lindenwood University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Lindenwood University

#17

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Kansas is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

KU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend KU is $17,132 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at KU

Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Missouri State University - Springfield is a large school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 34 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Missouri State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State is $16,204 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Missouri State

#19

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas

Wichita State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. WSU is a fairly large public school situated in Wichita, Kansas. It awarded 21 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,386 for plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend WSU.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Wichita State University

#20

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Brookings, South Dakota, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $19,326 for plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend South Dakota State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at South Dakota State

#21

Concordia University, Saint Paul

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Concordia University, Saint Paul ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Concordia University, Saint Paul is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 9 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,023 for plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Concordia University, Saint Paul.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Concordia University, Saint Paul

#22

Wayne State College

Wayne, Nebraska

With a ranking of #22, Wayne State College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wayne, Nebraska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,492 for plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend WSC.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at WSC

#23

Park University

Parkville, Missouri

Park University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Parkville, Missouri, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Park University is $17,144 for plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Park University

#24

Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, Missouri

Missouri Western State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Missouri Western is a public institution located in Saint Joseph, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Missouri Western is $11,336 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Missouri Western State University Design & Applied Arts Report

#25

Northern State University

Aberdeen, South Dakota
#24 in overall quality

Northern State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

NSU also took the #24 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NSU is $16,673 for plains states region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Northern State University

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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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