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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

78 Ranked Colleges
3,166 Degrees Awarded
$9,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes 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 Great Lakes region, there were 5,582 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,377 and $26,458 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,166 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 78 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,367 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UW - Madison

Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 108 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at UIUC

#3

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 40 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,498 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The impressive 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Notre Dame

#4

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Purdue has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,483 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Purdue

#5

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #5 spot on the list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 79 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $4,969 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at IU Bloomington

#6

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Michigan State University

With a ranking of #7, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 43 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,194 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#8

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Stout is a medium-sized public school situated in Menomonie, Wisconsin. It awarded 154 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout also took the #8 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stout is $10,695 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Wisconsin - Stout

#9

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $11,446 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Design & Applied Arts Report

#10

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ferris is located in Big Rapids, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 73 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Ferris is $7,207 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Ferris Design & Applied Arts Report

With a ranking of #11, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $5,052 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full IUPUI Design & Applied Arts Report

#12

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 34 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $8,403 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Ball State University

#13

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,337 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#14

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

Franklin University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Franklin University is $11,328 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Franklin University

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 68 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #22 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,648 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Design & Applied Arts Report

#16

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

With a ranking of #16, Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. PFW is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for PFW is $7,129 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at PFW

#17

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $11,598 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Central Michigan

#18

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland University is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 58 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,490 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland University.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Oakland

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 205 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UC also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $15,078 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at UC

#20

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Illinois State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $14,470 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Full Illinois State Design & Applied Arts Report

With a ranking of #21, Miami University - Oxford did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oxford, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.

Miami University - Oxford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,759 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Miami University - Oxford

#22

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saginaw Valley State University is located in University Center, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $10,522 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Saginaw Valley State University Design & Applied Arts Report

Kent State University at Kent landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school awarded 234 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Kent State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $13,915 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Kent State University at Kent Design & Applied Arts Report

With a ranking of #24, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $13,658 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at SIUC

University of Michigan - Flint landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Flint, Michigan, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Flint is $7,955 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UM Flint

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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

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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