2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 the Far Western US region, there were 6,083 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,399 and $27,675 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,029 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region” ranking, we looked at 54 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.
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.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Far Western US Region
Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #1 spot on the list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 130 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $9,622 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend CSULB.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bellevue College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region. Bellevue College is a fairly large public school situated in Bellevue, Washington. It awarded 36 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Bellevue College is $7,870 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 153 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree design students list, San Jose State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $14,928 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend San Jose State.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lake Washington Institute of Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region. Lake Washington Institute of Technology is located in Kirkland, Washington and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Lake Washington Institute of Technology is $7,713 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region. 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.
The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $5,464 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Fresno
San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #6. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 150 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at San Francisco State University
Western Washington University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Western Washington University is a fairly large school located in Bellingham, Washington that handed out 66 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
WWU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $16,529 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.
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%.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 89 students in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $12,734 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #9. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 39 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNLV, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNLV is $11,424 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Nevada - Las Vegas
With a ranking of #10, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Chico State is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 124 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $15,017 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design 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%.
California State University - Sacramento came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree design students list, Sac State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,979 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend Sac State.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUMB is $12,212 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.
The low 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%.
Full California State University - Monterey Bay Design & Applied Arts Report
Washington State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Wazzu is a public institution located in Pullman, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Wazzu also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $16,358 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students per year to attend Washington State University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #14, Central Washington University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Central Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Ellensburg, Washington. It awarded 27 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CWU is $15,397 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students.
With a ranking of #15, Portland State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Portland State University is a large school located in Portland, Oregon that handed out 83 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,040 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students per year to attend Portland State University.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Portland State University
Oregon State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Corvallis, Oregon, this large public school awarded 100 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree design students list, Oregon State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $20,016 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students per year to attend Oregon State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 ranking of #17, Cogswell College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Located in San Jose, California, this small private for-profit school handed out 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Cogswell College is $29,566 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students.
Academy of Art University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 123 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Academy of Art University is $34,145 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Academy of Art University
Chaminade University of Honolulu came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Chaminade University of Honolulu is located in Honolulu, Hawaii and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $25,075 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend Chaminade University of Honolulu.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%.
Full Chaminade University of Honolulu Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #20, Western Oregon University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Western Oregon State College is a small school located in Monmouth, Oregon that handed out 18 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $19,315 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students per year to attend Western Oregon State College.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Western Oregon University
University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #21. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $13,297 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students per year to attend UW Seattle.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Design & Applied Arts Report
Laguna College of Art and Design did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Laguna Beach, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 75 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
LCAD also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $35,355 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students per year to attend Laguna College of Art and Design.
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 more about Design & Applied Arts at Laguna College of Art and Design
Cornish College of the Arts came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. This small school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Cornish College of the Arts is $39,078 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Cornish College of the Arts Design & Applied Arts Report
FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private for-profit school handed out 49 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles is $41,505 for far western us region bachelor’s degree design students.
University of Oregon did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #25. UO is a public institution located in Eugene, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UO did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oregon is $16,461 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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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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