2027 Best Value Commercial & Advertising Art Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Commercial & Advertising Art](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/commercial-and-advertising-art/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools to find the best return on investment for commercial & advertising art students.
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2027 Best Value Commercial & Advertising Art Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in commercial & advertising art, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Commercial & Advertising Art Schools
Sinclair Community College earned the #1 spot for value among commercial & advertising art schools in the Great Lakes Region. Located in the city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,675 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,556 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $11,000 to complete the commercial & advertising art program here. Soon after graduation, commercial & advertising art degree recipients from Sinclair Community College generally make around $24,490. That is a strong return on a $11,000 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Cincinnati State Technical And Community College earned it the #2 place for commercial & advertising art. Cincinnati State Technical And Community College is a large public school located in the city of Cincinnati. In-state tuition and fees average $5,517, while out-of-state students pay about $10,044. Students borrow a median of $17,730 to complete the commercial & advertising art program here. Soon after graduation, commercial & advertising art degree recipients from Cincinnati State Technical And Community College generally make around $47,975. Set against $17,730 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Lakeland Community College earned it the #3 place for commercial & advertising art. Located in the suburb of Kirtland, Lakeland Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,872, while out-of-state students pay about $9,235. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $19,857. Early-career commercial & advertising art graduates make about $51,941. That is a strong return on a $19,857 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Vincennes University earned it the #4 place for commercial & advertising art. Set in the town of Vincennes, Vincennes University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,126, compared with $16,858 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $14,506. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Vincennes University earn a median of $45,976 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $14,506 median debt.
A rank of #5 makes Owens Community College one of the best values for commercial & advertising art. Owens Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Perrysburg. Students from in state pay about $5,870 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $10,502. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $19,383 in student loans. Early-career commercial & advertising art graduates make about $45,785. Set against $19,383 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Madison Area Technical College landed the #6 spot for commercial & advertising art value this year. Set in the city of Madison, Madison Area Technical College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,977 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,141 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $15,750 to complete the commercial & advertising art program here. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Madison Area Technical College earn a median of $44,279 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Ball State University landed the #7 spot for commercial & advertising art value this year. Ball State University is a very large public school located in the city of Muncie. Students from in state pay about $11,082 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $29,630. Students borrow a median of $22,000 to complete the commercial & advertising art program here. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Ball State University earn a median of $36,864 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Ball State University admits about 86% of applicants.
University Of Cincinnati Blue Ash College earned the #8 position for value in commercial & advertising art this year. Set in the suburb of Blue Ash, University Of Cincinnati Blue Ash College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,106, while out-of-state students pay about $15,904. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $19,408. Early-career commercial & advertising art graduates make about $42,936. That is a strong return on a $19,408 median debt.
Kent State University At Kent earned the #9 position for value in commercial & advertising art this year. Kent State University At Kent is a very large public school located in the suburb of Kent. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,220, compared with $21,575 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $26,000. Early-career commercial & advertising art graduates make about $44,776. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Roosevelt University came in at #10 for value in commercial & advertising art this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Roosevelt University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,315. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $20,417 in student loans. Soon after graduation, commercial & advertising art degree recipients from Roosevelt University generally make around $50,101. Set against $20,417 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 97%.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus landed the #11 spot for commercial & advertising art value this year. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Cincinnati. In-state tuition and fees average $13,363, while out-of-state students pay about $28,697. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $25,851 in student loans. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of University Of Cincinnati Main Campus earn a median of $58,659 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,851 median debt. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Columbia College Chicago earned the #12 position for value in commercial & advertising art this year. Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,088. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the commercial & advertising art program here. Early-career commercial & advertising art graduates make about $29,160. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Columbia College Chicago admits about 90% of applicants.
Miami University Oxford ranked #13 on our 2027 list of the best value commercial & advertising art schools. Set in the town of Oxford, Miami University Oxford is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $17,519 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $38,965. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, commercial & advertising art degree recipients from Miami University Oxford generally make around $47,295. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Miami University Oxford admits about 75% of applicants.
Columbus College Of Art And Design landed the #14 spot for commercial & advertising art value this year. Located in the city of Columbus, Columbus College Of Art And Design is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $40,825 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the commercial & advertising art program here. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Columbus College Of Art And Design earn a median of $27,970 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Columbus College Of Art And Design admits about 68% of applicants.
College For Creative Studies came in at #15 for value in commercial & advertising art this year. Set in the city of Detroit, College For Creative Studies is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $53,350. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of College For Creative Studies earn a median of $32,665 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
School Of Advertising Art Inc earned the #16 position for value in commercial & advertising art this year. School Of Advertising Art Inc is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Kettering. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $30,914. Students borrow a median of $5,500 to complete the commercial & advertising art program here. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $42,187. Set against $5,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. School Of Advertising Art Inc admits about 92% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, 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.