2027 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Kansas
[Design & Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong design & applied arts education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 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 Kansas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in design & applied arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools
Wichita Area Technical College earned the #1 spot for value among design & applied arts schools in Kansas. Located in the city of Wichita, Wichita Area Technical College is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,237. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $11,828 in student loans. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Wichita Area Technical College generally make around $35,358. That is a strong return on a $11,828 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Johnson County Community College earned it the #2 place for design & applied arts. Johnson County Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Overland Park. In-state tuition and fees average $2,424, compared with $5,688 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $13,625 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $32,030. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Wichita State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Wichita, Wichita State University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,684, with out-of-state students paying around $19,869. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Wichita State University earn a median of $33,590 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Kansas earned it the #4 place for design & applied arts. Located in the city of Lawrence, University Of Kansas is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,102 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $30,432. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $26,000. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $37,508. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 94%.
Kansas State University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Located in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,221, while out-of-state students pay about $28,568. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $23,546 in student loans. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Kansas State University earn a median of $43,992 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Benedictine College placed #6 among the best values for design & applied arts. Benedictine College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Atchison. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $36,350. Students borrow a median of $24,990 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $46,255. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 6 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.
