2027 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Georgia
[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 20 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 Georgia
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 Wiregrass Georgia Technical College the best value for a degree in design & applied arts in Georgia. Set in the rural area of Valdosta, Wiregrass Georgia Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,480, while out-of-state students pay about $6,048. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $10,864. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College earn a median of $40,452 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Atlanta Technical College one of the best values for design & applied arts. Located in the city of Atlanta, Atlanta Technical College is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,382, with out-of-state students paying around $5,950. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $17,655. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Atlanta Technical College earn a median of $35,441 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $17,655 median debt.
Chattahoochee Technical College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Set in the suburb of Marietta, Chattahoochee Technical College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,540, compared with $6,108 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $9,616 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Chattahoochee Technical College earn a median of $44,673 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Southern Regional Technical College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the town of Thomasville, Southern Regional Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,007, while out-of-state students pay about $5,575. Students borrow a median of $9,086 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $44,007. That is a strong return on a $9,086 median debt.
West Georgia Technical College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the rural area of Waco, West Georgia Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,410, with out-of-state students paying around $5,978. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $12,651 in student loans. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from West Georgia Technical College generally make around $39,922. Set against $12,651 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
North Georgia Technical College came in at #6 for value in design & applied arts this year. Located in the rural area of Clarkesville, North Georgia Technical College is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,330, with out-of-state students paying around $5,898. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $12,279. Design & Applied Arts graduates of North Georgia Technical College earn a median of $34,133 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Gwinnett Technical College earned the #7 position for value in design & applied arts this year. Located in the suburb of Lawrenceville, Gwinnett Technical College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,524 in tuition and fees, compared with $6,092 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $18,997 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Gwinnett Technical College earn a median of $32,851 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $18,997 median debt.
Albany Technical College landed the #8 spot for design & applied arts value this year. Albany Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Albany. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,364, with out-of-state students paying around $5,932. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $16,321 in student loans. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Albany Technical College earn a median of $35,895 early in their careers. Set against $16,321 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Athens Technical College came in at #9 for value in design & applied arts this year. Set in the city of Athens, Athens Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $3,390 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $5,958. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $9,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Athens Technical College generally make around $41,631. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Central Georgia Technical College Warner Robins placed #10 among the best values for design & applied arts. Central Georgia Technical College Warner Robins is a large public school located in the city of Warner Robins. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,448, while out-of-state students pay about $6,016. Students borrow a median of $11,693 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Central Georgia Technical College Warner Robins generally make around $39,765. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Lanier Technical College came in at #11 for value in design & applied arts this year. Set in the city of Gainesville, Lanier Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,980, with out-of-state students paying around $7,190. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $12,278 in student loans. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $37,118. That is a strong return on a $12,278 median debt.
Augusta Technical College landed the #12 spot for design & applied arts value this year. Set in the city of Augusta, Augusta Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,282 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,492. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $11,400. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Augusta Technical College earn a median of $41,892 early in their careers. Set against $11,400 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Valdosta State University placed #13 among the best values for design & applied arts. Set in the city of Valdosta, Valdosta State University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,124, compared with $17,836 for out-of-state students. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $28,661 in student loans. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $44,914. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Valdosta State University admits about 72% of applicants.
Georgia Southern University landed the #14 spot for design & applied arts value this year. Located in the town of Statesboro, Georgia Southern University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,022, compared with $17,734 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $26,000. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $39,355. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Georgia Southern University admits about 88% of applicants.
Georgia Piedmont Technical College came in at #15 for value in design & applied arts this year. Georgia Piedmont Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the suburb of Clarkston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,404, compared with $5,954 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $15,716. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Georgia Piedmont Technical College earn a median of $42,073 early in their careers. Set against $15,716 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
American Intercontinental University Atlanta placed #16 among the best values for design & applied arts. American Intercontinental University Atlanta is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Atlanta. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,527. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $39,107. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $43,008. That is a strong return on a $39,107 median debt.
Mercer University earned the #17 position for value in design & applied arts this year. Set in the city of Macon, Mercer University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $31,565. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $32,463. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $56,699. That is a strong return on a $32,463 median debt. Mercer University admits about 69% of applicants.
Clark Atlanta University placed #18 among the best values for design & applied arts. Set in the city of Atlanta, Clark Atlanta University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $28,310. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $27,427 in student loans. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $20,974. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 64%.
Savannah College Of Art And Design came in at #19 for value in design & applied arts this year. Located in the city of Savannah, Savannah College Of Art And Design is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $41,630. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Savannah College Of Art And Design earn a median of $32,194 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
Miami Ad School At Portfolio Center placed #20 among the best values for design & applied arts. Located in the city of Atlanta, Miami Ad School At Portfolio Center is a small private for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $19,400. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Miami Ad School At Portfolio Center generally make around $56,833.
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
View All Design & Applied Arts Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 20 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 20 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.
