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2023 Best Value Colleges for Visual Communications (Income $0-$30k)

116 Ranked Colleges
5,765 Degrees Awarded
$7,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 5,765 people earned their degree in visual communications, making the major the 154th most popular in the United States.

For this year’s “Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 116 colleges that offer a degree in visual communications. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great visual communications programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the visual communications program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Visual Communications Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Graphic Arts Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for graphic arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Visual Communications (Income $0-$30k)

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Visual Communications Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $1,556 for graphic arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual Communications at Washington University in St Louis

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 116 schools in the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 5 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best Visual Communications Schools” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $580 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full UPenn Visual Communications Report

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s graphic arts degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $245 for graphic arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Northwestern University Visual Communications Report

4
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 27 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,995 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Visual Communications at Purdue

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 22 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our graphic arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $5,194 for graphic arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Visual Communications at UW Seattle

6
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 43 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $9,872 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Visual Communications at University of Notre Dame

7

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for graphic arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual Communications at IU Bloomington

8
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon also made our “Best Visual Communications Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon is $16,456 for graphic arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Carnegie Mellon University Visual Communications Report

9

Iowa State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 44 diplomas to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $9,766 for graphic arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual Communications at Iowa State

10

Austin Community College District ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school handed out 58 degrees to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Austin Community College District is $3,264 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Austin Community College District Visual Communications Report

11

Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s graphic arts degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.

BYU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Visual Communications Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $9,445 for graphic arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Visual Communications at BYU

12
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

El Centro College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 58 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for El Centro College is $3,791 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Visual Communications at El Centro College

13

University of California - Davis ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 228 degrees to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “Best Visual Communications Schools” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $10,006 for graphic arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual Communications at University of California - Davis

14

Madison Area Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 11 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Madison Area Technical College is $7,567 for graphic arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Visual Communications at Madison College

15
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 34 degrees to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,283 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Carolina State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Visual Communications at NC State

16

With a ranking of #16, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 14 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $7,068 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual Communications at Ohio State

17

New York City College of Technology came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s graphic arts degrees to 125 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend City Tech is $2,908 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full City Tech Visual Communications Report

18

With a ranking of #18, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s graphic arts degrees to 68 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $13,753 for graphic arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual Communications at UT Austin

19

University of North Texas came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 69 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UNT is $6,387 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of North Texas Visual Communications Report

20

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 7 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $8,969 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual Communications at Arizona State University - Tempe

21
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WWU is a fairly large school located in Bellingham, Washington that handed out 50 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,979 for graphic arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Western Washington University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full WWU Visual Communications Report

22
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Ferris is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 4 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Ferris State University is $6,577 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Ferris Visual Communications Report

23
Salt Lake Community College crest
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #23, Salt Lake Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Salt Lake Community College is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 14 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Salt Lake Community College is $5,129 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Visual Communications at Salt Lake Community College

24

With a ranking of #24, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC also took the #5 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,061 for graphic arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Visual Communications at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

25
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 80 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,705 for graphic arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFSU.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SFSU Visual Communications Report

Notes and References

References

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