2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,987 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 101 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.
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.
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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 a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Yale is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our master’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Yale has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Yale University are $44,500.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Florida are $30,130, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Florida
Out of the 101 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Cornell University landed the #3 spot on the list. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 3 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell are $30,042.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Cornell University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 3 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 3 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #6, Harvard University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s design degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Notre Dame came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 2 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Notre Dame also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Notre Dame are $57,522.
Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school awarded 22 degrees to qualified masters’s design students in 2019-2020.
Georgia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus are $31,334, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 6 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Purdue University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #10, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s design students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Florida State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State University are $26,707, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UCLA also took the #16 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131.
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our master’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities are $28,845.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Design & Applied Arts Report
North Carolina State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. NC State is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at NC State are $28,999, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Northeastern University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northeastern University is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 15 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Northeastern also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern University are $25,558, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Fashion Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Fashion Institute of Technology is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 25 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at FIT SUNY, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at FIT SUNY are $24,209, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of North Texas ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNT is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 7 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Texas are $15,618, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #18, Boston University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Boston U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston University are $57,666, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Ferris State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Big Rapids, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified masters’s design students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ferris are $7,908.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Ferris State University
Iowa State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 24 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa State University are $25,948, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Iowa State University
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 1 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
IUPUI also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #0. Average graduate tuition and fees at IUPUI are $26,013, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Chattanooga are $18,334, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Design & Applied Arts Report
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. OSU is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OSU, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus are $23,963.
Full Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #24, University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified masters’s design students in 2019-2020.
UW - Stout not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Stout are $16,851.
Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 28 degrees to qualified masters’s design students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Carnegie Mellon has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Carnegie Mellon are $47,326, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Carnegie Mellon University
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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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