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2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina

16 Ranked Colleges
483 Degrees Awarded
$19,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's in North Carolina

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

Across North Carolina, there were 2,072 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,036 and $26,748 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 483 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,192 and $24,368 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina” ranking, we looked at 16 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

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 North Carolina” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 North Carolina

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina.

Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in North Carolina

#1

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, North Carolina State University landed the #1 spot on the list. North Carolina State University is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 70 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State also took the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $16,458 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full North Carolina State University Design & Applied Arts Report

#2

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Appalachian State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Appalachian State is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 144 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Appalachian State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State is $13,920 for north carolina bachelor’s degree design students.

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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Appalachian State

#3

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend East Carolina University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Located in Greenville, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

ECU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for East Carolina University is $15,844 for north carolina bachelor’s degree design students.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at ECU

#4

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 34 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

UNC Greensboro not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $12,748 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

Full UNC Greensboro Design & Applied Arts Report

#5

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Carolina University landed the #5 spot on the list. Western Carolina University is a public institution located in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree design students list, WCU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Carolina University is $13,722 for north carolina bachelor’s degree design students.

Full WCU Design & Applied Arts Report

#6

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Elizabeth City State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Elizabeth City State University is a small public school situated in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. It awarded 4 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

ECSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend Elizabeth City State University is $2,350 for north carolina bachelor’s degree design students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at ECSU

#7

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, North Carolina

North Carolina A & T State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. This fairly large school is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

NC A&T also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina A & T State University is $10,274 for north carolina bachelor’s degree design students.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at North Carolina A & T State University

#8

Barton College

Wilson, North Carolina
#10 in overall quality

Barton College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. This small school is located in Wilson, North Carolina, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Barton College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for Barton College is $24,141 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Barton College

#9

William Peace University

Raleigh, North Carolina

William Peace University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. WPU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 13 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

WPU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend WPU is $24,134 for north carolina bachelor’s degree design students.

Full WPU Design & Applied Arts Report

#10

Salem College

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Salem College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Salem College is a small school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 6 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Salem also took the #14 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $18,010 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Design students per year to attend Salem.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Salem College

#11

Campbell University

Buies Creek, North Carolina

Campbell University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Buies Creek, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Campbell also took the #8 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Campbell University is $24,544 for north carolina bachelor’s degree design students.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Campbell University

#12

Queens University of Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina

Queens University of Charlotte came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina ranking. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Queens also took the #9 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. It costs about $25,078 for north carolina bachelor’s degree design students per year to attend Queens.

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 student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Queens University of Charlotte

#13

Meredith College

Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #13, Meredith College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

Meredith also took the #5 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Meredith College is $23,683 for north carolina bachelor’s degree design students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Meredith College

#14

High Point University

High Point, North Carolina

With a ranking of #14, High Point University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Located in High Point, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 39 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

High Point not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list. The estimated yearly cost for High Point University is $37,255 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at High Point University

#15

Guilford College

Greensboro, North Carolina
#15 in overall quality

Guilford College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. Guilford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Guilford also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Guilford College is $22,996 for north carolina bachelor’s degree design students.

Full Guilford Design & Applied Arts Report

#16

Living Arts College

Raleigh, North Carolina
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Living Arts College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in North Carolina list. This small school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our north carolina bachelor’s degree design students list, Living Arts College has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in North Carolina” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Living Arts College is $25,110 for North Carolina Bachelor’s Degree Design students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Living Arts College

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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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