2027 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Missouri
[Design & Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 16 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 Missouri
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 St Charles Community College the best value for a degree in design & applied arts in Missouri. Set in the suburb of Cottleville, St Charles Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $3,810 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,620 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,606 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $47,228. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Metropolitan Community College Kansas City came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Located in the city of Kansas City, Metropolitan Community College Kansas City is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,630 in tuition and fees, compared with $9,600 for out-of-state students. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $12,281 in student loans. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $46,660. Set against $12,281 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Saint Louis Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Saint Louis Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Bridgeton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,660, while out-of-state students pay about $6,990. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $11,424 in student loans. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $25,929. Set against $11,424 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in design & applied arts will find it at University Of Missouri Kansas City, which ranked #4. University Of Missouri Kansas City is a large public school located in the city of Kansas City. Students from in state pay about $13,371 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $32,271. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $23,741 in student loans. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $60,324. Set against $23,741 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 72%.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Central Missouri one of the best values for design & applied arts. Located in the town of Warrensburg, University Of Central Missouri is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,050 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $18,600. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $25,576. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $33,921. That is a strong return on a $25,576 median debt. Roughly 64% of applicants are accepted.
Southeast Missouri State University landed the #6 spot for design & applied arts value this year. Set in the city of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri State University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,903. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $23,289 in student loans. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $43,255. Set against $23,289 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 74%.
Missouri State University Springfield landed the #7 spot for design & applied arts value this year. Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public school located in the city of Springfield. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,502, with out-of-state students paying around $18,770. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $26,477. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Missouri State University Springfield generally make around $33,695. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
University Of Missouri Columbia placed #8 among the best values for design & applied arts. Set in the city of Columbia, University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,837, compared with $36,056 for out-of-state students. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $21,818 in student loans. Design & Applied Arts graduates of University Of Missouri Columbia earn a median of $53,134 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Lindenwood University landed the #9 spot for design & applied arts value this year. Set in the city of Saint Charles, Lindenwood University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $21,600 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $28,663. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Lindenwood University generally make around $48,197. Set against $28,663 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 57% of applicants are accepted.
Park University came in at #10 for value in design & applied arts this year. Park University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Parkville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,116. Students borrow a median of $20,750 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Park University earn a median of $46,340 early in their careers. Set against $20,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Drury University came in at #11 for value in design & applied arts this year. Set in the city of Springfield, Drury University is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $36,745. Students borrow a median of $26,641 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Drury University generally make around $37,267. That is a strong return on a $26,641 median debt. Drury University admits about 58% of applicants.
Washington University In St Louis earned the #12 position for value in design & applied arts this year. Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of St. Louis. Students from in state pay about $65,790 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $19,089 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Washington University In St Louis generally make around $33,615. That is a strong return on a $19,089 median debt. The acceptance rate is 12%.
Maryville University Of Saint Louis placed #13 among the best values for design & applied arts. Set in the suburb of Saint Louis, Maryville University Of Saint Louis is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $27,166. Students borrow a median of $24,621 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Maryville University Of Saint Louis earn a median of $39,623 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Maryville University Of Saint Louis admits about 95% of applicants.
Stevens Institute Of Business And Arts came in at #14 for value in design & applied arts this year. Set in the city of Saint Louis, Stevens Institute Of Business And Arts is a small private for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,332. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $29,058. Roughly 100% of applicants are accepted.
Webster University earned the #15 position for value in design & applied arts this year. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, Webster University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $31,750 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $25,550. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Webster University generally make around $20,257. That is a strong return on a $25,550 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Kansas City Art Institute earned the #16 position for value in design & applied arts this year. Kansas City Art Institute is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Kansas City. In-state tuition and fees average $44,550. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Design & Applied Arts graduates of Kansas City Art Institute earn a median of $29,513 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 55% of applicants are accepted.
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 · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 16 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.
