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2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

423 Ranked Colleges
19,683 Degrees Awarded
$11,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 19,683 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 423 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

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 Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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 For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (With Aid)

#1

Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, New York

Out of the 423 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Fashion Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 560 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

FIT SUNY also took the #15 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fashion Institute of Technology is $10,523 for bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $13,297 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

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 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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 54 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree design students with aid list, UF has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,302 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid per year to attend UF.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Full University of Florida Design & Applied Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York City College of Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. New York City College of Technology is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 129 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,667 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid per year to attend City Tech.

Full New York City College of Technology Design & Applied Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 108 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,880 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 94%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#6

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lehman is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 14 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $1,814 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid per year to attend Lehman.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Lehman College

#7

Queens College

Queens, New York

Queens College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $3,067 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.

The low 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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Queens College

California State University - Long Beach ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 130 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also claimed a top spot on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #13 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,708 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#10

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

Purdue excels when it comes to design quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 93%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Purdue

California State University - Fresno landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,464 for bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend Fresno State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Fresno State

#12

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, New York

Farmingdale State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Farmingdale State College is a public institution located in Farmingdale, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,638 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid per year to attend SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale.

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 SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale Design & Applied Arts Report

#13

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

With a ranking of #13, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Appalachian State is a large public school situated in Boone, North Carolina. It awarded 144 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Appalachian State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State University is $13,920 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Appalachian State University Design & Applied Arts Report

With a ranking of #14, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

Georgia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,739 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid per year to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

#15

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Florida State is in the top on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $9,789 for bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend Florida State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, 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 95%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Florida State University

#16

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #16, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 70 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

NC State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina State University is $16,458 for bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

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%. 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 North Carolina State University

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 61 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also took the #8 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $18,023 for bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at UT Austin

#18

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #18, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, IU Bloomington is also in the top of our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $13,253 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 IU Bloomington

#19

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Los Angeles 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” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $14,279 for bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of California - Los Angeles

The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UT Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 187 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UT Dallas is $15,232 for bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UT Dallas Design & Applied Arts Report

Iowa State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa State University is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 227 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $15,496 for bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

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

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Iowa State University

#22

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

With a ranking of #22, Elizabeth City State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Elizabeth City, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend ECSU is $2,350 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.

Full Elizabeth City State University Design & Applied Arts Report

#23

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stout came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Menomonie, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 154 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UW - Stout is in the top on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $15,839 for bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Stout Design & Applied Arts Report

Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large school located in Provo, Utah that handed out 107 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU excels when it comes to design quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $13,322 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Brigham Young University - Provo Design & Applied Arts Report

Utah Valley University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Orem, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 149 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,159 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid per year to attend Utah Valley University.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UVU

Rest of the Best 51 in Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 51 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#28

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#31

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio
#32

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
#34

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#36

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#38

Bellevue College

Bellevue, Washington
#39

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#39

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#41

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#42

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#43

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#44

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#45

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
#47

Montclair State University

Montclair, New Jersey
#48

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#49

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#50

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
52 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
53 Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI
54 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
55 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
56 Portland State University Portland, OR
57 University of Houston Houston, TX
58 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
59 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
60 SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY
60 Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX
62 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
63 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
64 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA

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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