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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Middle Atlantic Region

73 Ranked Colleges
4,217 Degrees Awarded
$16,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's in the Middle Atlantic Region

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 a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region” 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 the Middle Atlantic region, there were 7,328 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,202 and $27,301 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,217 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,278 and $24,587 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking, we looked at 73 colleges that offer 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 a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 Middle Atlantic Region

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Middle Atlantic Region

#1

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Kutztown University is a public institution located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Kutztown University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is $22,422 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

#2

Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Fashion Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region. New York, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 560 students in 2019-2020.

FIT SUNY also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Fashion Institute of Technology is $10,523 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at FIT SUNY

#3

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, New York
#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend SUNY Oneonta. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region. SUNY Oneonta is a medium-sized school located in Oneonta, New York that handed out 71 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY Oneonta did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $17,470 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend SUNY Oneonta.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Oneonta Design & Applied Arts Report

#4

SUNY New Paltz

New Paltz, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY New Paltz. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. SUNY New Paltz is a medium-sized public school situated in New Paltz, New York. It awarded 35 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students list, SUNY New Paltz has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY New Paltz is $17,171 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 SUNY New Paltz Design & Applied Arts Report

#5

California University of Pennsylvania

California, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region. This medium-sized school is located in California, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California University of Pennsylvania is $18,154 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Cal U

#6

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, New York

Farmingdale State College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Farmingdale, New York, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Farmingdale State College is $8,638 for middle atlantic region 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%.

Full SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale Design & Applied Arts Report

#7

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York

SUNY Fredonia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #7. SUNY Fredonia is a public institution located in Fredonia, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SUNY Fredonia is $14,824 for Middle Atlantic Region 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at SUNY Fredonia

#8

Montclair State University

Montclair, New Jersey

Montclair State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Montclair State University is a large public school situated in Montclair, New Jersey. It awarded 140 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Montclair State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Montclair State is $18,034 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 Montclair State Design & Applied Arts Report

#9

Kean University

Union, New Jersey

Kean University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Kean University is a public institution located in Union, New Jersey. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Kean not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Kean is $18,604 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

Full Kean University Design & Applied Arts Report

#10

Queens College

Queens, New York

Queens College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. QC is a fairly large school located in Queens, New York that handed out 102 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,067 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students per year to attend QC.

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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at QC

#11

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, Pennsylvania
#21 in overall quality

Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #11. Millersville, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Millersville also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Millersville is $23,350 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

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

#12

Berkeley College - Woodland Park

Woodland Park, New Jersey

With a ranking of #12, Berkeley College - Woodland Park did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This small school is located in Woodland Park, New Jersey, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Berkeley College - Woodland Park is $15,483 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students.

Full Berkeley College - Woodland Park Design & Applied Arts Report

#13

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania

York College of Pennsylvania ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. YCP is located in York, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend York College of Pennsylvania is $20,652 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at YCP

New York City College of Technology ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. 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 Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend City Tech.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at New York City College of Technology

#15

SUNY Oswego

Oswego, New York

With a ranking of #15, SUNY Oswego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. SUNY Oswego is located in Oswego, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $15,665 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend SUNY Oswego.

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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at SUNY Oswego

#16

LIM College

New York, New York

LIM College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. LIM is a private for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend LIM College is $34,761 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at LIM College

#17

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #17. This fairly large school is located in Bronx, New York, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $1,814 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend Lehman College.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Lehman College

#18

Purchase College

Purchase, New York

Purchase College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Purchase College is located in Purchase, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Purchase College is $18,326 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Purchase College

#18

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #18, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Mansfield, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Mansfield University is $19,065 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Mansfield University

With a ranking of #20, Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Indiana, Pennsylvania that handed out 24 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,448 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend IUP.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at IUP

#21

Morgan State University

Baltimore, Maryland

With a ranking of #21, Morgan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Morgan State is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Morgan State is $17,619 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

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

University of Maryland - Baltimore County came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. UMBC is a public institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - Baltimore County is $19,082 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree design students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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 UMBC

#23

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #23, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 7 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is $19,855 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at East Stroudsburg University

#24

Buffalo State

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo State ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Buffalo State is located in Buffalo, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Buffalo State is $12,960 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

Full Buffalo State Design & Applied Arts Report

#25

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey
#16 in overall quality

Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, this large public school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Rutgers New Brunswick also took the #16 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rutgers University - New Brunswick is $21,654 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Rutgers University - New Brunswick Design & Applied Arts Report

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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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