2027 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in New Jersey
[Design & Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 18 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for design & applied arts students.
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2027 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in New Jersey
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
Burlington County College tops our 2027 list of the best value design & applied arts schools in New Jersey. Set in the suburb of Mount Laurel, Burlington County College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,990 in tuition and fees, compared with $9,495 for out-of-state students. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $12,488 in student loans. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Burlington County College earn a median of $52,240 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,488 median debt.
Mercer County Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the rural area of West Windsor, Mercer County Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,310, while out-of-state students pay about $9,174. Students borrow a median of $12,250 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Mercer County Community College earn a median of $45,389 early in their careers. Set against $12,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Raritan Valley Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the rural area of Branchburg, Raritan Valley Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,664 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,584. Students borrow a median of $9,668 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Raritan Valley Community College earn a median of $47,248 early in their careers. Set against $9,668 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at County College Of Morris earned it the #4 place for design & applied arts. County College Of Morris is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Randolph. Students from in state pay about $6,210 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,310. Students borrow a median of $9,420 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Design & Applied Arts graduates of County College Of Morris earn a median of $30,966 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,420 median debt.
Sussex County Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts, landing the #5 spot this year. Sussex County Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Newton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,544, with out-of-state students paying around $9,024. Students borrow a median of $10,750 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Sussex County Community College generally make around $27,179. Set against $10,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Bergen Community College earned the #6 position for value in design & applied arts this year. Set in the suburb of Paramus, Bergen Community College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,913, with out-of-state students paying around $9,294. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $17,720 in student loans. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Bergen Community College earn a median of $51,280 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Brookdale Community College earned the #7 position for value in design & applied arts this year. Brookdale Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Lincroft. Students from in state pay about $6,270 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $10,140. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $12,651. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Brookdale Community College generally make around $37,374. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Kean University landed the #8 spot for design & applied arts value this year. Set in the suburb of Union, Kean University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,299 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $22,446. Students borrow a median of $26,713 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Kean University generally make around $35,673. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Kean University admits about 76% of applicants.
Montclair State University came in at #9 for value in design & applied arts this year. Set in the suburb of Montclair, Montclair State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,912, while out-of-state students pay about $26,022. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $26,000. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Montclair State University earn a median of $26,027 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Montclair State University admits about 88% of applicants.
New Jersey Institute Of Technology earned the #10 position for value in design & applied arts this year. Set in the city of Newark, New Jersey Institute Of Technology is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $19,974 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $37,664. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $27,000. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $38,975. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 65%.
Ocean County Vocational Technical School earned the #11 position for value in design & applied arts this year. Ocean County Vocational Technical School is a small public school located in the suburb of Toms River. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Ocean County Vocational Technical School earn a median of $27,482 early in their careers.
Rowan University landed the #12 spot for design & applied arts value this year. Rowan University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Glassboro. Students from in state pay about $16,574 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $26,932. Students borrow a median of $24,488 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $52,031. Set against $24,488 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Rutgers University New Brunswick came in at #13 for value in design & applied arts this year. Set in the city of New Brunswick, Rutgers University New Brunswick is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,929, with out-of-state students paying around $37,441. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Rutgers University New Brunswick generally make around $32,397. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 58%.
Fairleigh Dickinson University College At Florham landed the #14 spot for design & applied arts value this year. Set in the suburb of Madison, Fairleigh Dickinson University College At Florham is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $37,468 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $24,701 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Fairleigh Dickinson University College At Florham generally make around $24,357. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 95%.
Rider University placed #15 among the best values for design & applied arts. Set in the suburb of Lawrenceville, Rider University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,120. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $26,241 in student loans. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Rider University generally make around $29,445. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Rider University admits about 79% of applicants.
Berkeley College Woodland Park placed #16 among the best values for design & applied arts. Berkeley College Woodland Park is a mid-sized private for-profit school located in the suburb of Woodland Park. Students from in state pay about $28,320 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $23,949. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $27,937. That is a strong return on a $23,949 median debt.
Monmouth University placed #17 among the best values for design & applied arts. Set in the suburb of West Long Branch, Monmouth University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $46,552. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $26,847. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $49,709. That is a strong return on a $26,847 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Seton Hall University came in at #18 for value in design & applied arts this year. Located in the suburb of South Orange, Seton Hall University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $53,170. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $23,500. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $63,871. That is a strong return on a $23,500 median debt. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 18 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.
