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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Graphic Design (Income $30-$48k)

216 Ranked Colleges
5,098 Degrees Awarded
$8,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Graphic Design is the 105th most popular major in the country with 8,541 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,098 graphic design graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 216 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in graphic design. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality graphic design programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the graphic design program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Graphic Design 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 Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” 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. 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 Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Graphic Design (Income $30-$48k)

#1

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k list, UF has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UF is $4,069 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Graphic Design at University of Florida

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 1 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $7,467 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#3

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 216 schools in the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northeastern University landed the #3 spot on the list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s graphic design degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern is $12,823 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Northeastern University Graphic Design Report

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s graphic design degrees to 56 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $8,464 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at UIUC

#5

Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, New York
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 216 schools in the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Fashion Institute of Technology landed the #5 spot on the list. FIT SUNY is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

FIT SUNY also took the #6 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fashion Institute of Technology is $9,399 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at Fashion Institute of Technology

#6

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#13 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s graphic design degrees to 92 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $8,418 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#7

Queens College

Queens, New York

With a ranking of #7, Queens College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. QC is located in Queens, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,056 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Queens College.

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 Graphic Design at Queens College

#8

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#11 in overall quality

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. North Carolina State University is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NC State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,887 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NC State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 94%.

Read more about Graphic Design at North Carolina State University

California State University - Fresno landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 37 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,731 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 87%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at Fresno State

#10

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lehman is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 14 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman is $3,289 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Graphic Design at Lehman College

#11

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Boston University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston U also took the #3 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,256 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Boston University.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive 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.

Full Boston U Graphic Design Report

#8 in overall quality

Iowa State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 70 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,843 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Iowa State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Graphic Design at Iowa State

With a ranking of #13, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s graphic design students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $5,616 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Graphic Design Report

#14

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#17 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stout came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout also took the #17 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $10,778 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 UW - Stout Graphic Design Report

#15

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
Top 15% in overall quality

Appalachian State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Appalachian State University is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 54 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Appalachian State is also in the top of our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $9,884 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Appalachian State University Graphic Design Report

Top 15% in overall quality

Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s graphic design degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, BYU also did well on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $10,425 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full BYU Graphic Design Report

#17

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Elizabeth City State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. ECSU is located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $1,919 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Elizabeth City State University.

Read full report on Graphic Design at Elizabeth City State University

Top 15% in overall quality

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe excels when it comes to graphic design quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $8,921 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at ASU - Tempe

With a ranking of #19, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $7,823 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at California State University - Sacramento

With a ranking of #20, University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNLV is a public institution located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $9,880 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Nevada - Las Vegas Graphic Design Report

#21

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s graphic design students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $11,752 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Graphic Design at San Jose State University

#22

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
Top 25% in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Saint Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,274 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend St. Cloud State University.

Read full report on Graphic Design at Saint Cloud State University

#23

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Houston came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,925 for bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Houston.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at University of Houston

#24

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ferris State University is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 27 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ferris is $10,521 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Ferris State University Graphic Design Report

#25

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 58 degrees to qualified bachelors’s graphic design students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,751 for Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oakland.

Read more about Graphic Design at Oakland University

Rest of the Best 33 in Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 33 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, Louisiana
#29

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#30

George Washington University

Washington, District of Columbia
#32

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon
#33

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

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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