2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in Iowa

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 an Associate in Iowa” 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 Iowa, there were 524 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,460 and $23,539 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 66 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,684 and $18,179 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Iowa” ranking analyzed 4 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 an Associate in Iowa” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Iowa

The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa associate degree design students.

Top 4 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in Iowa

#1

Des Moines Area Community College

Ankeny, Iowa

#1 in overall quality

$10,076 Average Net Price

$28,236 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Des Moines Area Community College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Iowa list. DMACC is a large public school situated in Ankeny, Iowa. It awarded 33 associates’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DMACC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Des Moines Area Community College is $10,076 for Iowa Associate Degree Design students.

Full Des Moines Area Community College Design & Applied Arts Report

#2

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

#2 in overall quality

$10,939 Average Net Price

$28,019 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kirkwood Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Iowa list. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this fairly large public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified associates’s design students in 2019-2020.

Kirkwood Community College also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Kirkwood Community College is $10,939 for Iowa Associate Degree Design students.

Full Kirkwood Community College Design & Applied Arts Report

#3

Western Iowa Tech Community College

Sioux City, Iowa

#3 in overall quality

$7,201 Average Net Price

$28,960 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Iowa Tech Community College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Sioux City, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified associates’s design students in 2019-2020.

Western Iowa Tech Community College also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $7,201 for Iowa Associate Degree Design students per year to attend Western Iowa Tech Community College.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Western Iowa Tech Community College

#4

Iowa Central Community College

Fort Dodge, Iowa

#4 in overall quality

$10,102 Average Net Price

$19,358 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa Central Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Iowa list. This small school is located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and it awarded 5 associates’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa Central Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $10,102 for Iowa Associate Degree Design students per year to attend Iowa Central Community College.

Full Iowa Central Community College Design & Applied Arts Report

• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Plains States Region
• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts

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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