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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

19 Ranked Colleges
190 Degrees Awarded
$30,900 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Design Schools for a Master's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Great Lakes region, there were 5,582 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,377 and $26,458 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 190 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 19 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.

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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 19 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Notre Dame landed the #1 spot on the list. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 2 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Notre Dame are $57,522, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Notre Dame

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567.

Full Northwestern Design & Applied Arts Report

#3

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s design degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

Purdue also took the #2 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Design & Applied Arts Report

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 3 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at U-M

#5

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UW - Stout is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

UW - Stout also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #0. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Stout are $16,851.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UW - Stout

#6

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

Ferris State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Ferris is a fairly large school located in Big Rapids, Michigan that handed out 8 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Ferris not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ferris State University are $7,908, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Ferris Design & Applied Arts Report

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. Illinois Institute of Technology is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 8 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois Institute of Technology are $30,695.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Illinois Institute of Technology

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. IUPUI is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

IUPUI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #0 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis are $26,013, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full IUPUI Design & Applied Arts Report

#8 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 15 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k list, UIC has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Chicago are $27,036, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UIC

#10

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Eastern Michigan is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Eastern Michigan, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Eastern Michigan are $26,552.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Eastern Michigan

#11

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Ball State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

Ball State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ball State are $26,204.

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

#7 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UC is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC are $26,644, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

Kent State University at Kent did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 15 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Kent State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Kent State are $21,952.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Kent State

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Bowling Green, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s design degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

BGSU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus are $15,823, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Design & Applied Arts Report

#9 in overall quality

Columbus College of Art and Design did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. Columbus College of Art and Design is a private not-for-profit institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CCAD also took the #9 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at CCAD are $37,370, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Columbus College of Art and Design

#16 in overall quality

Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #16. OHIO Athens is located in Athens, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

OHIO Athens also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at OHIO Athens are $17,712.

Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Design & Applied Arts Report

#17

College for Creative Studies

Detroit, Michigan
#4 in overall quality

College for Creative Studies ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This small school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 17 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

CCS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CCS are $49,655.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at CCS

#18

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

DePaul also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. Average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul are $19,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at DePaul

#14 in overall quality

School of the Art Institute of Chicago came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 19 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k list, School of the Art Institute of Chicago has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at School of the Art Institute of Chicago are $43,912, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at School of the Art Institute of Chicago

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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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