2027 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Montana
[Design & Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for design & applied arts students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Montana
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 Flathead Valley Community College, our #1 best value for design & applied arts in Montana. Flathead Valley Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Kalispell. Students from in state pay about $4,912 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $11,659. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $16,094 in student loans. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Flathead Valley Community College generally make around $45,868. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Montana State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Bozeman, Montana State University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,460, while out-of-state students pay about $33,287. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $18,880. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Montana State University earn a median of $36,931 early in their careers. Set against $18,880 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Montana State University admits about 82% of applicants.
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
