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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual Communications in the Great Lakes Region

20 Ranked Colleges
228 Degrees Awarded
$20,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Visual Communications is the 161st most popular major in the country with 5,657 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 907 visual communications graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 228 visual communications graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in visual communications. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality visual communications programs that also have a lower cost than 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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual Communications in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ferris State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Ferris State University is a public institution located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ferris, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,889 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Arts students per year to attend Ferris State University.

Full Ferris State University Visual Communications Report

#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Green Bay, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Arts students.

Read full report on Visual Communications at UW - Green Bay

#3

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 14 bachelors’s graphic arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also made our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree graphic arts students per year to attend Purdue.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Purdue University - Main Campus Visual Communications Report

#13 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BGSU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,394 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Arts students per year to attend BGSU.

Read full report on Visual Communications at BGSU

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s graphic arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #8 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Arts students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Visual Communications Report

#6

Lawrence Technological University

Southfield, Michigan
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Lawrence Technological University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Lawrence Tech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Southfield, Michigan. It awarded 5 bachelors’s graphic arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Lawrence Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lawrence Technological University is $32,721 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Arts students.

Read full report on Visual Communications at Lawrence Technological University

#7

Madonna University

Livonia, Michigan
#16 in overall quality

Madonna University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Livonia, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s graphic arts degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Madonna not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Madonna University is $17,574 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree graphic arts students.

Read full report on Visual Communications at Madonna University

#6 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s graphic arts degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $17,616 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree graphic arts students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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 more about Visual Communications at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#14 in overall quality

University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. This small school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s graphic arts degrees in 2019-2020.

University of St. Francis Fort Wayne not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,796 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree graphic arts students per year to attend University of St. Francis Fort Wayne.

Read full report on Visual Communications at University of St. Francis Fort Wayne

#10

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#4 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s graphic arts degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Arts students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Visual Communications at IU Bloomington

#11

Shawnee State University

Portsmouth, Ohio
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Shawnee State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Shawnee State University is a public institution located in Portsmouth, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Shawnee State University, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Shawnee State University is $16,320 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree graphic arts students.

Read full report on Visual Communications at Shawnee State University

#18 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Flint landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UM Flint is located in Flint, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.

UM Flint did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UM Flint is $12,734 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree graphic arts students.

Read more about Visual Communications at University of Michigan - Flint

#13

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

Spring Arbor University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Spring Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s graphic arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree graphic arts students list, Spring Arbor has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,183 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree graphic arts students per year to attend Spring Arbor.

Full Spring Arbor Visual Communications Report

#9 in overall quality

Ohio Northern University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. ONU is a small school located in Ada, Ohio that handed out 5 bachelors’s graphic arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree graphic arts students list, ONU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio Northern University is $24,072 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree graphic arts students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual Communications at Ohio Northern University

#15

University of Evansville

Evansville, Indiana
#10 in overall quality

University of Evansville landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s graphic arts students in 2019-2020.

UE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Evansville is $21,626 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Arts students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Visual Communications at University of Evansville

#16

Art Academy of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, Ohio
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Art Academy of Cincinnati did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Art Academy of Cincinnati is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree graphic arts students list, AAC has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $24,071 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Arts students per year to attend Art Academy of Cincinnati.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Visual Communications at Art Academy of Cincinnati

#17

Anderson University Indiana

Anderson, Indiana
#19 in overall quality

Anderson University Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Anderson University Indiana is located in Anderson, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.

Anderson University Indiana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $22,351 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Arts students per year to attend Anderson University Indiana.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Anderson University Indiana

#18

University of Dayton

Dayton, Ohio
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Dayton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UDayton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UDayton, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $31,003 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Arts students per year to attend UDayton.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UDayton Visual Communications Report

#19

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s graphic arts degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree graphic arts students list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Loyola University Chicago is $35,407 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree graphic arts students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 Loyola Chicago

#20

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 40 degrees to qualified bachelors’s graphic arts students in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Visual Communications Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $33,025 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Arts students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual Communications at University of Notre Dame

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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

Footnotes

  • *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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