2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Great Lakes Region
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that 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 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 190 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 18 colleges that offered 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.
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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 Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 18 Best Value Master’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 Ferris State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. This fairly large school is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 8 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Ferris also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ferris are $7,908, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Bowling Green, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s design degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree design students list, BGSU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at BGSU are $15,823.
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.
Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio University - Athens Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s design degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree design students list, OHIO Athens has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio University - Athens Campus are $17,712, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Ohio University - Athens Campus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UC is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 10 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
UC also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus are $26,644, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Kent State University at Kent landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s design degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
Kent State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Kent State are $21,952, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Kent State University at Kent
DePaul University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.
DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul University are $19,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UIC is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 15 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
UIC also took the #8 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIC are $27,036.
Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s design degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree design students list, Ball State has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ball State are $26,204, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Ball State University
With a ranking of #10, Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 8 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Tech, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois Institute of Technology are $30,695, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Illinois Institute of Technology
Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. Eastern Michigan University is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree design students list, Eastern Michigan has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Eastern Michigan University are $26,552.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Eastern Michigan University
Columbus College of Art and Design ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Columbus College of Art and Design is a small school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 10 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
CCAD also took the #9 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Columbus College of Art and Design are $37,370.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Columbus College of Art and Design
Cranbrook Academy of Art came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cranbrook Academy of Art is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carnbrook Academy, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Carnbrook Academy are $40,900, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Cranbrook Academy of Art
College for Creative Studies did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified masters’s design students in 2019-2020.
CCS also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. Average graduate tuition and fees at College for Creative Studies are $49,655, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full College for Creative Studies Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #15, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 3 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
U-M also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
With a ranking of #16, School of the Art Institute of Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 19 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago also took the #14 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at School of the Art Institute of Chicago are $43,912, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at School of the Art Institute of Chicago
University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s design degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Notre Dame are $57,522.
Northwestern University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.
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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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