2023 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (With Aid)
396
Ranked Colleges
36,301
Degrees Awarded
$9,800
Avg Net Price*
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 Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 36,301 people earned their degree in design and applied arts, making the major the 36th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, design and applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,426 and had an average of $25,481 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 396 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 Those Getting Aid” 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for design students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Fashion Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 1,400 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
FIT SUNY also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $10,389 for design students with aid per year to attend FIT SUNY.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Fashion Institute of Technology
Out of the 396 schools in the Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 38 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $12,017 for design students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 93%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at UW Seattle
Out of the 396 schools in the Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 87 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,135 for design students with aid per year to attend University of Florida.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Florida
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Collin County Community College District. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid. Collin County Community College District is a large school located in McKinney, Texas that handed out 149 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Collin County Community College District is also in the top of our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Collin County Community College District is $7,040 for design students with aid.
Full Collin County Community College District Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Metropolitan Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid. MCC is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 82 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Metropolitan Community College is $4,315 for Design students with aid.
The low undergrad 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 Metropolitan Community College
Austin Community College District did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Austin Community College District is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 81 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,224 for Design students with aid per year to attend Austin Community College District.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Austin Community College District
El Centro College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. El Centro College is a large school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 137 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for El Centro College is $4,739 for design students with aid.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at El Centro College
Madison Area Technical College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 94 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
Madison College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Madison Area Technical College is $10,053 for Design students with aid.
Full Madison Area Technical College Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #9, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Appalachian State is a large public school situated in Boone, North Carolina. It awarded 167 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Appalachian State is in the top on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” list. It costs about $13,989 for design students with aid per year to attend Appalachian State.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 more about Design & Applied Arts at Appalachian State
Sinclair Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Dayton, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 153 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Sinclair Community College is $4,959 for Design students with aid.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Sinclair Community College
Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
Purdue also took the #25 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,377 for Design students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Purdue University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #12, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 95 students in 2020-2021.
BYU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,474 for design students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Brigham Young University - Provo
Iowa State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa State University is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 252 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
Iowa State also took the #4 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $16,002 for design students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Iowa State University Design & Applied Arts Report
California State University - Long Beach came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 141 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
CSULB also claimed a top spot on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” list. It costs about $10,054 for Design students with aid per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full California State University - Long Beach Design & Applied Arts Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 105 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” list. It costs about $14,321 for Design students with aid per year to attend UIUC.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at UIUC
Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid list. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 192 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Tempe, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $13,107 for Design students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Arizona State University - Tempe Design & Applied Arts Report
New York City College of Technology landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 178 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend City Tech is $4,120 for Design students with aid.
Full New York City College of Technology Design & Applied Arts Report
Central Piedmont Community College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 180 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Central Piedmont Community College is $5,710 for Design students with aid.
Full Central Piedmont Community College Design & Applied Arts Report
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 104 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,350 for Design students with aid per year to attend UT Austin.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at UT Austin
Nassau Community College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Garden City, New York, and it awarded 55 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Nassau Community College is $4,932 for design students with aid.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Nassau Community College
With a ranking of #21, Salt Lake Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 66 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Salt Lake Community College is $6,197 for Design students with aid.
Full Salt Lake Community College Design & Applied Arts Report
Queens College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Queens College is a fairly large public school situated in Queens, New York. It awarded 131 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,469 for design students with aid per year to attend QC.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Queens College Design & Applied Arts Report
San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 201 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, San Jose State is also in the top of our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $16,542 for Design students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 more about Design & Applied Arts at San Jose State
Utah Valley University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Utah Valley University is a large public school situated in Orem, Utah. It awarded 287 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,955 for design students with aid per year to attend Utah Valley University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
Full Utah Valley University Design & Applied Arts Report
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 61 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for Design students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 UCLA
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