2026 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Washington
[Design & Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong design & applied arts education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 25 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for design & applied arts students.
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2026 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Washington
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the design & applied arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools
For return on investment in design & applied arts, no school beat Lake Washington Institute Of Technology this year. Lake Washington Institute Of Technology is a mid-sized public school located in the suburb of Kirkland. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,997, while out-of-state students pay about $12,062. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $19,695 in student loans. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Lake Washington Institute Of Technology generally make around $60,000. That is a strong return on a $19,695 median debt.
Clover Park Technical College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Located in the city of Lakewood, Clover Park Technical College is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,634. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $15,154. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Clover Park Technical College generally make around $42,209. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Seattle Community College Central Campus came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Located in the city of Seattle, Seattle Community College Central Campus is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,238 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $5,796. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $14,085 in student loans. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Seattle Community College Central Campus generally make around $29,775. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Spokane Falls Community College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Located in the city of Spokane, Spokane Falls Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,461, compared with $6,612 for out-of-state students. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $14,657 in student loans. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Spokane Falls Community College generally make around $21,508. That is a strong return on a $14,657 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in design & applied arts will find it at Shoreline Community College, which ranked #5. Shoreline Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Shoreline. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,115, with out-of-state students paying around $7,905. Students borrow a median of $16,700 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $62,009. Set against $16,700 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Highline Community College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Located in the suburb of Des Moines, Highline Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,772, with out-of-state students paying around $5,332. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $8,958. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Highline Community College generally make around $55,459. Set against $8,958 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Bellevue College came in at #7 for value in design & applied arts this year. Bellevue College is a large public school located in the city of Bellevue. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,436, with out-of-state students paying around $10,502. Students borrow a median of $33,660 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $45,947. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Washington Seattle Campus earned the #8 position for value in design & applied arts this year. Located in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,973, compared with $43,209 for out-of-state students. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $12,250 in student loans. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from University Of Washington Seattle Campus generally make around $63,449. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 39%.
Eastern Washington University placed #9 among the best values for design & applied arts. Set in the town of Cheney, Eastern Washington University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,586 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $26,583. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $21,754. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Eastern Washington University earn a median of $47,144 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,754 median debt. The acceptance rate is 91%.
Washington State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Located in the town of Pullman, Washington State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,391, compared with $29,950 for out-of-state students. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $22,802 in student loans. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Washington State University earn a median of $44,823 early in their careers. Set against $22,802 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Western Washington University placed #11 among the best values for design & applied arts. Western Washington University is a large public school located in the city of Bellingham. In-state tuition and fees average $9,582, while out-of-state students pay about $28,707. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $20,000. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Western Washington University generally make around $31,078. That is a strong return on a $20,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 93%.
Seattle Pacific University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Located in the city of Seattle, Seattle Pacific University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $40,407 in tuition and fees. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Seattle Pacific University generally make around $39,248. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
Walla Walla University placed #13 among the best values for design & applied arts. Located in the suburb of College Place, Walla Walla University is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,227. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $28,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Walla Walla University generally make around $28,436. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Northwest College Of Art And Design ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Northwest College Of Art And Design is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Tacoma. Students from in state pay about $18,100 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $30,750. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Northwest College Of Art And Design earn a median of $27,694 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $30,750 median debt. The acceptance rate is 66%.
Seattle University landed the #15 spot for design & applied arts value this year. Located in the city of Seattle, Seattle University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $56,721. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $23,792 in student loans. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Seattle University generally make around $63,214. Set against $23,792 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Cornish College Of The Arts placed #16 among the best values for design & applied arts. Cornish College Of The Arts is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Seattle. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,684. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $20,344. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Cornish College Of The Arts admits about 62% of applicants.
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 25 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
