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

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 36,854 people earned their degree in design and applied arts, making the major the 34th most popular in the United States. 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 Iowa, there were 524 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,460 and $23,539 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 66 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,684 and $18,179 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 4 colleges that offer a degree in design and applied arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality design and applied arts 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 design and applied arts program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. 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 Design Schools for an Associate in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 4 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa

#1

Des Moines Area Community College

Ankeny, Iowa

#1 in overall quality

$7,776 Average Net Price

$28,236 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Des Moines Area Community College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Des Moines Area Community College is a public institution located in Ankeny, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DMACC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DMACC is $7,776 for iowa associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full DMACC Design & Applied Arts Report

#2

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

#2 in overall quality

$8,067 Average Net Price

$28,019 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kirkwood Community College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. Kirkwood Community College is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 associates’s design degrees to qualified students.

Kirkwood Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Kirkwood Community College is $8,067 for iowa associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Kirkwood Community College

#3

Western Iowa Tech Community College

Sioux City, Iowa

#3 in overall quality

$5,665 Average Net Price

$28,960 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Iowa Tech Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. Sioux City, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s design degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Western Iowa Tech Community College has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Iowa Tech Community College is $5,665 for iowa associate degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Western Iowa Tech Community College Design & Applied Arts Report

#4

Iowa Central Community College

Fort Dodge, Iowa

#4 in overall quality

$7,979 Average Net Price

$19,358 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa Central Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. Iowa Central Community College is a public institution located in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa Central Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa Central Community College is $7,979 for Iowa Associate Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Iowa Central Community College

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

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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