2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Great Lakes Region
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.
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 Great Lakes region, there were 5,582 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,377 and $26,458 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,166 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 78 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools
The design school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. UW - Stout is a public institution located in Menomonie, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 154 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Stout also took the #8 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,839 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout.
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%.
Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #2 spot on the list. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 25 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Stevens Point also took the #17 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ferris State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. This fairly large school is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Ferris State University is $12,889 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Ferris State University
Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Western Michigan University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend Western Michigan University.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Western Michigan University
Kent State University at Kent ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent State is located in Kent, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 234 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
Kent State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State University at Kent is $18,885 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 7 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Franklin University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Franklin University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 12 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Franklin University is $12,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.
With a ranking of #10, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 205 students in 2019-2020.
UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UC is $21,843 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 42 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students list, Purdue has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students per year to attend Purdue.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Purdue University - Main Campus
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 56 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is $18,394 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
Central Michigan University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 57 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $15,981 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Central Michigan University
With a ranking of #14, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Eastern Michigan University is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Eastern Michigan University
Herzing University - Akron did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Herzing University - Akron is located in Akron, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Herzing University - Akron is $22,416 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Herzing University - Akron
With a ranking of #16, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students.
Full Northeastern Illinois University Design & Applied Arts Report
Cleveland State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cleveland State University is a fairly large public school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 12 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $17,278 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Cleveland State University
With a ranking of #18, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Akron Main Campus is a public institution located in Akron, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,792 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Akron Main Campus
Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. This medium-sized school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,912 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $15,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students.
Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #21. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $11,802 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Oakland University
With a ranking of #22, Rasmussen University - Wisconsin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Rasmussen University - Wisconsin is a small private for-profit school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 2 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $19,917 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend Rasmussen University - Wisconsin.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Rasmussen University - Wisconsin
Cedarville University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cedarville is located in Cedarville, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
Cedarville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $21,727 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend Cedarville University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Saginaw Valley State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Saginaw Valley State University is a medium-sized school located in University Center, Michigan that handed out 36 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,248 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Saginaw Valley State University
With a ranking of #25, Huntington University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Huntington University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Huntington, Indiana. It awarded 4 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Huntington University is $22,869 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Huntington University
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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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