2023 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
54
Ranked Colleges
5,956
Degrees Awarded
$9,300
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 36,301 people earned their degree in design and applied arts, making the major the 36th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, design and applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,426 and had an average of $25,481 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 5,956 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,100 and $26,477 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 54 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools
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 in the Far Western US Region 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. 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 in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $5,194 for Far Western US Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 93%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 61 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region design students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,037 for far western us region design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 more about Design & Applied Arts at UCLA
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 141 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,663 for Far Western US Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full CSULB Design & Applied Arts Report
Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 228 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also took the #4 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,006 for far western us region design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Davis.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 undergraduate students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UC Davis
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 201 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $12,158 for far western us region design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full San Jose State Design & Applied Arts Report
California State University - Fresno ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 48 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,859 for Far Western US Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Fresno State
Western Washington University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. This fairly large school is located in Bellingham, Washington, and it awarded 68 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
WWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $9,979 for far western us region design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WWU.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Western Washington University
California State University - Sacramento came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 55 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,163 for far western us region design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sac State.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Sacramento Design & Applied Arts Report
San Francisco State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 202 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $10,705 for Far Western US Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at San Francisco State University
College of Southern Nevada landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Las Vegas, Nevada is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for College of Southern Nevada is $6,140 for Far Western US Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at College of Southern Nevada
With a ranking of #11, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 113 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona also took the #18 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,349 for Far Western US Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Cal Poly Pomona Design & Applied Arts Report
University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 67 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $17,287 for Far Western US Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Southern California.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Southern California
Spokane Falls Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Spokane Falls Community College is a small school located in Spokane, Washington that handed out 37 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Spokane Falls Community College is $4,377 for far western us region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Spokane Falls Community College Design & Applied Arts Report
Washington State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Wazzu is a large public school situated in Pullman, Washington. It awarded 36 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Wazzu also took the #23 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wazzu is $7,689 for far western us region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Washington State University Design & Applied Arts Report
University of California - San Diego landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
UCSD also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $9,823 for Far Western US Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSD.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of California - San Diego
Los Angeles Trade Technical College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Los Angeles Trade Technical College is $9,142 for Far Western US Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Los Angeles Trade Technical College
San Diego Mesa College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for San Diego Mesa College is $4,672 for far western us region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at San Diego Mesa College
With a ranking of #18, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 108 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $11,038 for far western us region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 85%.
Full UC Santa Cruz Design & Applied Arts Report
University of Oregon did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. UO is a large public school situated in Eugene, Oregon. It awarded 62 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
UO did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Oregon is $13,666 for far western us region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UO Design & Applied Arts Report
University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNLV is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 56 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UNLV is $8,991 for Far Western US Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 UNLV
California State University - Chico landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 143 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $11,754 for far western us region design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Chico State Design & Applied Arts Report
Bellevue College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. BC is located in Bellevue, Washington and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 74 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend BC is $6,775 for Far Western US Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at BC
California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUMB is a public institution located in Seaside, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,192 for Far Western US Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUMB.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Monterey Bay Design & Applied Arts Report
Oregon State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Oregon State University is located in Corvallis, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 114 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our far western us region design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Oregon State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $15,242 for far western us region design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oregon State University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Oregon State University Design & Applied Arts Report
Central Washington University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Central Washington University is a fairly large school located in Ellensburg, Washington that handed out 19 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CWU is $10,796 for Far Western US Region Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Central Washington University Design & Applied Arts Report
