Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Design & Applied Arts

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

17 Ranked Colleges
762 Degrees Awarded
$10,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Design & Applied Arts is the 34th most popular major in the country with 36,854 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, design and applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,542 and had an average of $27,114 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 3,229 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,160 and $27,678 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 762 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,605 and $16,886 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 17 colleges that offered a degree in design and applied arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent design and applied arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The design 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 Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 17 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Austin Community College District. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Austin Community College District is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 55 associates’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Austin Community College District did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Austin Community College District is $3,134 for southwest region associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Austin Community College District

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Collin County Community College District. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. McKinney, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s design degrees to 77 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Collin County Community College District, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $4,565 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Collin County Community College District.

Full Collin County Community College District Design & Applied Arts Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. OSU Institute of Technology is a small school located in Okmulgee, Oklahoma that handed out 13 associates’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at OSU Institute of Technology, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $4,771 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend OSU Institute of Technology.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at OSU Institute of Technology

#4

Pima Community College

Tucson, Arizona

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pima Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pima Community College is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 associates’s design degrees to qualified students.

Pima County Community College District also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Pima Community College is $2,574 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Pima County Community College District

#5

San Antonio College

San Antonio, Texas

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, San Antonio College landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 22 degrees to qualified associates’s design students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Antonio College, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $5,183 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Antonio College.

Full San Antonio College Design & Applied Arts Report

Texas State Technical College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Texas State Technical College is located in Waco, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 associates’s design degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, TSTC has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $8,535 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend TSTC.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at TSTC

San Jacinto Community College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jacinto College is located in Pasadena, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 associates’s design degrees to qualified students.

San Jacinto College also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for San Jacinto College is $8,232 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full San Jacinto College Design & Applied Arts Report

#8

Kilgore College

Kilgore, Texas

Kilgore College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Kilgore, Texas, and it awarded 15 associates’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Kilgore College also took the #13 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kilgore College is $6,668 for southwest region associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Kilgore College

#9

Scottsdale Community College

Scottsdale, Arizona

With a ranking of #9, Scottsdale Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Scottsdale Community College is a medium-sized school located in Scottsdale, Arizona that handed out 28 associates’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Scottsdale Community College also took the #5 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $8,963 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Scottsdale Community College.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Scottsdale Community College

#10

Phoenix College

Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, this medium-sized public school awarded 26 degrees to qualified associates’s design students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Phoenix College has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Phoenix College is $8,169 for southwest region associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Phoenix College

#11

Mesa Community College

Mesa, Arizona

Mesa Community College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mesa, Arizona is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s design degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

Mesa Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mesa Community College is $8,791 for southwest region associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Mesa Community College

#12

South Plains College

Levelland, Texas
#14 in overall quality

South Plains College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. South Plains College is a medium-sized school located in Levelland, Texas that handed out 12 associates’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Plains College, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for South Plains College is $6,211 for southwest region associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full South Plains College Design & Applied Arts Report

Sessions College for Professional Design landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sessions College for Professional Design is a private for-profit institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Sessions College also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Sessions College for Professional Design is $10,878 for southwest region associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Sessions College Design & Applied Arts Report

The Art Institute of Houston ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ai Houston is a small private for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 8 associates’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Ai Houston not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $21,248 for southwest region associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ai Houston.

Full Ai Houston Design & Applied Arts Report

The Art Institute of Dallas came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Dallas, Texas, this small private for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified associates’s design students in 2019-2020.

The Art Institute of Dallas also took the #6 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The Art Institute of Dallas is $20,737 for southwest region associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full The Art Institute of Dallas Design & Applied Arts Report

#16

The Art Institute of San Antonio

San Antonio, Texas

The Art Institute of San Antonio did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. The Art Institute of San Antonio is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 associates’s design degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ai San Antonio, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The Art Institute of San Antonio is $20,988 for southwest region associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at The Art Institute of San Antonio

The Art Institute of Austin landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Austin, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associates’s design degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ai Austin has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $21,877 for Southwest Region Associate Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The Art Institute of Austin.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Ai Austin

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Performing Arts Schools

Find Schools Near You