2026 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Colorado
[Design & Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong design & applied arts education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for design & applied arts students.
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2026 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Colorado
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
Leading the list is Red Rocks Community College, our #1 best value for design & applied arts in Colorado. Red Rocks Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Lakewood. In-state tuition and fees average $4,859, with out-of-state students paying around $17,459. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $14,471 in student loans. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Red Rocks Community College earn a median of $76,340 early in their careers. Set against $14,471 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in design & applied arts will find it at Aims Community College, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Greeley, Aims Community College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $2,258, while out-of-state students pay about $11,786. Students borrow a median of $11,199 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Aims Community College generally make around $45,909. Set against $11,199 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Community College Of Denver is a great value for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Community College Of Denver is a large public school located in the city of Denver. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,058, compared with $17,658 for out-of-state students. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $18,830 in student loans. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Community College Of Denver earn a median of $45,202 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $18,830 median debt.
Pikes Peak Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts, landing the #4 spot this year. Pikes Peak Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Colorado Springs. Students from in state pay about $4,510 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,110. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $16,066. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Pikes Peak Community College earn a median of $41,037 early in their careers. Set against $16,066 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in design & applied arts will find it at Arapahoe Community College, which ranked #5. Located in the suburb of Littleton, Arapahoe Community College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,434 in tuition and fees, compared with $17,034 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $15,000. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $32,100. Set against $15,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Pickens Technical College came in at #6 for value in design & applied arts this year. Pickens Technical College is a small public school located in the city of Aurora. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,140, while out-of-state students pay about $9,250. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $10,250 in student loans. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $35,622. Set against $10,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Front Range Community College came in at #7 for value in design & applied arts this year. Front Range Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Westminster. In-state tuition and fees average $4,663, compared with $17,263 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $11,000 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Front Range Community College earn a median of $21,397 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,000 median debt.
Metropolitan State College Of Denver ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Set in the city of Denver, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,124, compared with $30,684 for out-of-state students. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $29,125 in student loans. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $39,450. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Rocky Mountain College Of Art And Design earned the #9 position for value in design & applied arts this year. Rocky Mountain College Of Art And Design is a mid-sized private for-profit school located in the suburb of Lakewood. Students from in state pay about $20,190 in tuition and fees. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $46,544 in student loans. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Rocky Mountain College Of Art And Design earn a median of $29,829 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $46,544 median debt.
University Of Denver landed the #10 spot for design & applied arts value this year. University Of Denver is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Denver. Students from in state pay about $61,398 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $22,534 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from University Of Denver generally make around $31,104. That is a strong return on a $22,534 median debt. The acceptance rate is 78%.
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
