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2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s

423 Ranked Colleges
19,683 Degrees Awarded
$16,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 423 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

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” list to help you make the college 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts

Out of the 423 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, BYU 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. It costs about $13,322 for bachelor’s degree design students per year to attend BYU.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full BYU Design & Applied Arts Report

#2

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UW - Stout is a medium-sized school located in Menomonie, Wisconsin that handed out 154 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout also claimed a top spot on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $15,839 for bachelor’s degree design students per year to attend UW - Stout.

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 UW - Stout

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s list. 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.

In addition to being on this list, North Dakota State University is in the top 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 North Dakota State University is $16,584 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Dakota State University - Main Campus Design & Applied Arts Report

#4

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota

Out of the 423 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, South Dakota State University landed the #4 spot on the list. South Dakota State University is a fairly large public school situated in Brookings, South Dakota. It awarded 20 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State is $19,252 for bachelor’s degree design students.

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 South Dakota State University Design & Applied Arts Report

#5

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Out of the 423 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Bemidji State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Bemidji State University is a small public school situated in Bemidji, Minnesota. It awarded 18 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Bemidji State University is $15,868 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Bemidji State University

#6

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 25 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Stevens Point also did well on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,465 for bachelor’s degree design students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#7

Southern New Hampshire University

Manchester, New Hampshire

Southern New Hampshire University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Manchester, New Hampshire, and it awarded 345 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $41,095 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend SNHU.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at SNHU

#7

Bellevue University

Bellevue, Nebraska

Bellevue University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Bellevue University is a fairly large school located in Bellevue, Nebraska that handed out 34 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Bellevue University is $15,616 for bachelor’s degree design students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Bellevue University

Iowa State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Iowa State is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 227 bachelors’s 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. It costs about $15,496 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend Iowa State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#10

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
Top 25% in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. St. Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Saint Cloud State University is $14,267 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

Full St. Cloud State University Design & Applied Arts Report

#11

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #11. WCU is a fairly large public school situated in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It awarded 26 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for WCU is $13,722 for bachelor’s degree design students.

Full WCU Design & Applied Arts Report

#12

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Ferris State University is a public institution located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,889 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend Ferris State University.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Ferris State University

#13

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of North Dakota is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 9 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UND is $15,738 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

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 UND

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a fairly large public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 50 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $17,067 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Design & Applied Arts Report

#15

Northern State University

Aberdeen, South Dakota

Northern State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Northern State University is a small school located in Aberdeen, South Dakota that handed out 3 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NSU is $15,851 for bachelor’s degree design students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at NSU

Seminole State College of Florida ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Sanford, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 34 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Seminole State College of Florida is $8,326 for bachelor’s degree design students.

Full Seminole State College of Florida Design & Applied Arts Report

Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. Moorhead, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Moorhead is $16,893 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at MSU Moorhead

#18

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #18. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,395 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend UW - Green Bay.

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

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB 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 in this category. It costs about $9,622 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#20

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia

Georgia Southern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Statesboro, Georgia, this large public school awarded 47 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,536 for bachelor’s degree design students per year to attend GaSou.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at GaSou

#21

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #21, Florida State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 37 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State also claimed a top spot 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. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $9,789 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Florida State

#22

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Appalachian State is located in Boone, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 144 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, Appalachian State is in the top on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $13,920 for bachelor’s degree design students per year to attend Appalachian State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Appalachian State Design & Applied Arts Report

#23

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, Pennsylvania

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 53 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is $22,422 for bachelor’s degree design students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

#24

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. UNI is a medium-sized school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa that handed out 36 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI excels when it comes to design quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UNI is $15,620 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Northern Iowa Design & Applied Arts Report

#25

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Illinois State also did well 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 yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

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%.

Full Illinois State University Design & Applied Arts Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, New York
#29

Bellevue College

Bellevue, Washington
#30

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, New York
#31

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#33

Park University

Parkville, Missouri
#34

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#35

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri
#36

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas
#37

Harding University

Searcy, Arkansas
#39

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#40

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#41

Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, Louisiana
#43

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#45

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri
#46

Weber State University

Ogden, Utah
#47

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, Arizona
#49

SUNY New Paltz

New Paltz, New York

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

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

Rank College Location
51 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
52 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
53 Franklin University Columbus, OH
54 California University of Pennsylvania California, PA
54 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
56 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
57 Arkansas State University - Main Campus Jonesboro, AR
58 Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC
59 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
60 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
61 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
61 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
63 Farmingdale State College Farmingdale, NY
64 Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design Lakewood, CO

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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