2023 Best Value Colleges for Visual Communications in the Great Lakes Region
23
Ranked Colleges
824
Degrees Awarded
$20,900
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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” 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer 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.
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
The graphic arts school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region”.
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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Visual Communications in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Madison Area Technical College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Madison College is a fairly large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 11 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Madison College also took the #6 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Madison Area Technical College is $10,053 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students.
Read full report on Visual Communications at Madison College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Technical College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Western Technical College is a small school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 4 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Western Technical College also took the #17 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Technical College is $10,279 for great lakes region graphic arts students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Visual Communications at Western Technical College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ferris State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Big Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s graphic arts degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
Ferris did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ferris State University is $12,213 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students.
Read full report on Visual Communications at Ferris
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Ivy Tech Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. Ivy Tech Community College is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 177 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ivy Tech Community College also made our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Ivy Tech Community College is $7,669 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students.
Read full report on Visual Communications at Ivy Tech Community College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 ’s degrees 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 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 more about Visual Communications at UC
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus Visual Communications Report
With a ranking of #7, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region 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 list, BGSU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,558 for great lakes region graphic arts students per year to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus.
Read full report on Visual Communications at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.
UW - Green Bay also made our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $13,092 for great lakes region graphic arts students per year to attend UW - Green Bay.
Full UW - Green Bay Visual Communications Report
DePaul University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and 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 estimated yearly cost for DePaul is $31,174 for great lakes region graphic arts students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Visual Communications at DePaul University
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region graphic arts students list, Ohio State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $16,845 for great lakes region graphic arts 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Visual Communications Report
With a ranking of #11, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $14,619 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students.
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%.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington Visual Communications Report
Lawrence Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Lawrence Tech is located in Southfield, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lawrence Tech, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lawrence Tech is $33,391 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Visual Communications at Lawrence Technological University
With a ranking of #13, University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Fort Wayne, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s graphic arts degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
University of St. Francis Fort Wayne did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,389 for great lakes region graphic arts students per year to attend University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne.
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 St. Francis Fort Wayne
Spring Arbor University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Spring Arbor is a small school located in Spring Arbor, Michigan that handed out 3 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Spring Arbor also made our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Spring Arbor is $20,543 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts 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%.
Full Spring Arbor Visual Communications Report
University of Michigan - Flint did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Flint, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s graphic arts degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region graphic arts students list, UM Flint has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Flint is $12,689 for great lakes region graphic arts students.
Read more about Visual Communications at UM Flint
Anderson University Indiana came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Anderson University Indiana is located in Anderson, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.
Anderson University Indiana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $23,046 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students per year to attend Anderson University Indiana.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Visual Communications at Anderson University Indiana
With a ranking of #17, Art Academy of Cincinnati did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. AAC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
AAC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Art Academy of Cincinnati is $24,564 for great lakes region graphic arts students.
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.
Full Art Academy of Cincinnati Visual Communications Report
With a ranking of #18, University of Evansville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UE, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UE is $22,912 for great lakes region graphic arts students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Visual Communications at UE
With a ranking of #19, College for Creative Studies did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. College for Creative Studies 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 made our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend CCS is $34,767 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students.
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.
Read full report on Visual Communications at CCS
University of Dayton landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UDayton, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Dayton is $29,928 for great lakes region graphic arts students.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 UDayton
Loyola University Chicago ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region graphic arts students list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola University Chicago is $36,434 for great lakes region graphic arts students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Loyola Chicago
University of Notre Dame came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.
Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Visual Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Notre Dame is $31,101 for Great Lakes Region Graphic Arts students.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about Visual Communications at University of Notre Dame
Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region graphic arts students list, Northwestern has also earned the #5 rank 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 a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Northwestern Visual Communications Report
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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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