Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Design & Applied Arts

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

25 Ranked Colleges
833 Degrees Awarded
$20,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

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 a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, there were 1,110 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,866 and $26,524 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 833 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in design and applied arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great design and applied arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k.

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

#1

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carnegie Mellon University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. Carnegie Mellon is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon University is $12,542 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Carnegie Mellon Design & Applied Arts Report

#2

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. Mansfield, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Mansfield University has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $15,083 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mansfield University.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Mansfield University

#3

Susquehanna University

Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Susquehanna University landed the #3 spot on the list. Susquehanna is a small school located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania that handed out 12 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Susquehanna, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Susquehanna is $19,823 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Susquehanna Design & Applied Arts Report

#4

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Millersville University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Millersville, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Millersville also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $16,878 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

Full Millersville Design & Applied Arts Report

#5

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Temple University landed the #5 spot on the list. Temple is a large public school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 54 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Temple also took the #5 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Temple University is $18,315 for Pennsylvania 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 87%.

Full Temple University Design & Applied Arts Report

#6

Albright College

Reading, Pennsylvania

Albright College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Albright is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Reading, Pennsylvania. It awarded 25 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Albright, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Albright College is $15,077 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Albright

#7

California University of Pennsylvania

California, Pennsylvania

California University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. This medium-sized school is located in California, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal U also took the #18 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $14,841 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California University of Pennsylvania.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Cal U

#8

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #8, York College of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. YCP is a private not-for-profit institution located in York, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at YCP, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for York College of Pennsylvania is $16,618 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at York College of Pennsylvania

#9

Marywood University

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Marywood University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Marywood University is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Marywood, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $17,062 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Marywood.

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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Marywood

#10

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, Pennsylvania

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Kutztown University is a medium-sized public school situated in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 53 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Kutztown University also took the #7 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $17,384 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

#11

Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Thomas Jefferson University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Thomas Jefferson University is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

Thomas Jefferson University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $18,118 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Thomas Jefferson University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Thomas Jefferson University

#12

Cabrini University

Radnor, Pennsylvania

Cabrini University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cabrini University is a small school located in Radnor, Pennsylvania that handed out 7 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Cabrini University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cabrini University is $17,649 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Cabrini University Design & Applied Arts Report

#13

La Roche University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #13, La Roche University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

La Roche also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend La Roche University is $15,122 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at La Roche

#14

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

East Stroudsburg University also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is $16,975 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania Design & Applied Arts Report

#15

Drexel University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Drexel University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 185 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Drexel also took the #2 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Drexel is $25,234 for Pennsylvania 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%. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Drexel University

Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IUP is located in Indiana, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

IUP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $18,177 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IUP.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at IUP

With a ranking of #17, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is $13,369 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

#18

Seton Hill University

Greensburg, Pennsylvania

Seton Hill University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Seton Hill also took the #20 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Seton Hill is $20,577 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Seton Hill University

#19

Robert Morris University

Moon Township, Pennsylvania

Robert Morris University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Robert Morris University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

RMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $22,063 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend RMU.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at RMU

#20

Pennsylvania College of Technology

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania College of Technology came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Penn College is a small school located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania that handed out 19 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Penn College has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $22,255 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Penn College.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Pennsylvania College of Technology

#21

Mercyhurst University

Erie, Pennsylvania

Mercyhurst University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mercyhurst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Erie, Pennsylvania. It awarded 15 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Mercyhurst also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Mercyhurst is $19,415 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Mercyhurst

#22

Arcadia University

Glenside, Pennsylvania

Arcadia University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Arcadia University is a small school located in Glenside, Pennsylvania that handed out 12 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Arcadia, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Arcadia is $22,224 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Arcadia University

#23

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. PAFA is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

PAFA also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $34,026 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Design & Applied Arts Report

#24

Moore College of Art and Design

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #24, Moore College of Art and Design did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 38 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Moore College has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Moore College is $31,490 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Moore College Design & Applied Arts Report

#25

The University of the Arts

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #25, The University of the Arts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. UArts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UArts also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $39,618 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UArts.

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.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at UArts

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