---

2026 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in District of Columbia

[Design & Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for design & applied arts students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in District of Columbia

2026 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in District of Columbia

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in design & applied arts, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools

1

George Washington University
Washington, DC

$67,710 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,910 Avg Student Debt

$90,873 Median Earnings (10yr)

George Washington University tops our 2026 list of the best value design & applied arts schools in District of Columbia. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $67,710 in tuition and fees. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $22,910 in student loans. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $54,222. Set against $22,910 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 47% of applicants are accepted.

2

American University
Washington, DC

$58,771 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,139 Avg Student Debt

$77,370 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at American University earned it the #2 place for design & applied arts. Set in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,771. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $24,139. Design & Applied Arts graduates of American University earn a median of $54,585 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,139 median debt. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.

View All Design & Applied Arts Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 3 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.