2027 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Colorado
[Design & Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools to find the best return on investment for design & applied arts students.
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2027 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Colorado
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in design & applied arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools
Our analysis ranked Pikes Peak Community College the best value for a degree in design & applied arts in Colorado. Set in the suburb of Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak Community College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,510, with out-of-state students paying around $17,110. Students borrow a median of $16,066 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Pikes Peak Community College earn a median of $41,037 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Red Rocks Community College earned it the #2 place for design & applied arts. Set in the suburb of Lakewood, Red Rocks Community College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,859, while out-of-state students pay about $17,459. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $14,471. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Red Rocks Community College earn a median of $76,340 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $14,471 median debt.
Community College Of Denver came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Community College Of Denver is a large public school located in the city of Denver. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,058, compared with $17,658 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $18,830 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Community College Of Denver earn a median of $45,202 early in their careers. Set against $18,830 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #4 makes Aims Community College one of the best values for design & applied arts. Located in the city of Greeley, Aims Community College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $2,258 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $11,786. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $11,199 in student loans. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $45,909. Set against $11,199 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Pickens Technical College came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Pickens Technical College is a small public school located in the city of Aurora. In-state tuition and fees average $5,140, while out-of-state students pay about $9,250. Students borrow a median of $10,250 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Pickens Technical College earn a median of $35,622 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $10,250 median debt.
Arapahoe Community College ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Arapahoe Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Littleton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,434, compared with $17,034 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $15,000. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Arapahoe Community College generally make around $32,100. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Pueblo Community College landed the #7 spot for design & applied arts value this year. Located in the city of Pueblo, Pueblo Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,049 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,649. Students borrow a median of $14,106 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Pueblo Community College generally make around $42,377. Set against $14,106 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Front Range Community College ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Located in the suburb of Westminster, Front Range Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,663 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,263. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $11,000. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Front Range Community College generally make around $21,397. Set against $11,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Mesa State College placed #9 among the best values for design & applied arts. Located in the city of Grand Junction, Mesa State College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,927 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $25,124. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $27,000. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Mesa State College earn a median of $43,617 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Metropolitan State College Of Denver earned the #10 position for value in design & applied arts this year. Located in the city of Denver, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,124, with out-of-state students paying around $30,684. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $29,125 in student loans. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Metropolitan State College Of Denver earn a median of $39,450 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,125 median debt. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Rocky Mountain College Of Art And Design placed #11 among the best values for design & applied arts. Located in the suburb of Lakewood, Rocky Mountain College Of Art And Design is a mid-sized private for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $20,190. Students borrow a median of $46,544 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Rocky Mountain College Of Art And Design generally make around $29,829. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Colorado College landed the #12 spot for design & applied arts value this year. Set in the city of Colorado Springs, Colorado College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $70,734 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $17,921. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Colorado College generally make around $37,342. That is a strong return on a $17,921 median debt. The acceptance rate is 18%.
University Of Denver placed #13 among the best values for design & applied arts. Located in the city of Denver, University Of Denver is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $61,398. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $22,534 in student loans. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $31,104. That is a strong return on a $22,534 median debt. University Of Denver admits about 78% of applicants.
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 · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 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.
