2023 Best Value Colleges for Visual Communications in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
23
Ranked Colleges
824
Degrees Awarded
$20,900
Avg Net Price*
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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 5,765 people earned their degree in visual communications, making the major the 154th most popular in the United States.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 824 visual communications graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 23 colleges that offered a degree in visual communications. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent visual communications programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the visual communications program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Visual Communications Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Visual Communications in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Madison Area Technical College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Madison Area Technical College is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region graphic arts students with aid list, Madison College has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Madison Area Technical College is $10,053 for great lakes region graphic arts students with aid.
Read full report on Visual Communications at Madison Area Technical College
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 27 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region graphic arts students with aid list, Purdue has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students with aid per year to attend Purdue.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus Visual Communications Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ivy Tech Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 177 diplomas to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.
Ivy Tech Community College also took the #16 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ivy Tech Community College is $7,669 for great lakes region graphic arts students with aid.
Read full report on Visual Communications at Ivy Tech Community College
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 3 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region graphic arts students with aid list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $14,619 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Visual Communications at Indiana University - Bloomington
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school handed out 76 degrees to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.
UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $22,415 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students with aid per year to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Visual Communications at UC
Western Technical College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Western Technical College is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.
Western Technical College also made our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Western Technical College is $10,279 for great lakes region graphic arts students with aid.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Visual Communications at Western Technical College
Ferris State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ferris State University is located in Big Rapids, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.
Ferris also took the #10 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,213 for great lakes region graphic arts students with aid per year to attend Ferris.
Full Ferris Visual Communications Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region graphic arts students with aid list, Ohio State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Visual Communications at Ohio State University - Main Campus
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - Green Bay is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.
UW - Green Bay also made our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $13,092 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students with aid.
Read full report on Visual Communications at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
With a ranking of #10, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame also made our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $31,101 for great lakes region graphic arts students with aid per year to attend Notre Dame.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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. 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%.
Full Notre Dame Visual Communications Report
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Bowling Green, Ohio, and it awarded 45 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region graphic arts students with aid list, BGSU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,558 for great lakes region graphic arts students with aid.
Read full report on Visual Communications at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of St. Francis Fort Wayne is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region graphic arts students with aid list, University of St. Francis Fort Wayne has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne is $18,389 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Visual Communications at University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne
University of Michigan - Flint landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UM Flint is located in Flint, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.
UM Flint also took the #23 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Flint is $12,689 for great lakes region graphic arts students with aid.
Read full report on Visual Communications at UM Flint
Northwestern University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also took the #5 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $23,279 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students with aid.
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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Visual Communications at Northwestern University
University of Evansville came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Evansville is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 3 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.
UE also made our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for University of Evansville is $22,912 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UE Visual Communications Report
Spring Arbor University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Spring Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s graphic arts degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
Spring Arbor did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,543 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students with aid per year to attend Spring Arbor University.
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 Spring Arbor
Anderson University Indiana came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Anderson, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.
Anderson University Indiana also made our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Anderson University Indiana is $23,046 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students with aid.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Anderson University Indiana Visual Communications Report
Lawrence Technological University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Southfield, Michigan, and it awarded 6 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Lawrence Tech also took the #9 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lawrence Technological University is $33,391 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Visual Communications at Lawrence Technological University
Art Academy of Cincinnati ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. AAC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 5 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at AAC, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $24,564 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students with aid per year to attend Art Academy of Cincinnati.
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 more about Visual Communications at AAC
DePaul University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. DePaul University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 5 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.
DePaul also made our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend DePaul University is $31,174 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Read more about Visual Communications at DePaul
With a ranking of #21, University of Dayton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Dayton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region graphic arts students with aid list, UDayton has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UDayton is $29,928 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Visual Communications at UDayton
With a ranking of #22, College for Creative Studies did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. CCS is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.
CCS also took the #8 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $34,767 for great lakes region graphic arts students with aid per year to attend CCS.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 CCS
Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Loyola University Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Chicago is $36,434 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Visual Communications at Loyola University Chicago
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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