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

19 Ranked Colleges
920 Degrees Awarded
$19,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 Massachusetts, there were 920 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,353 and $27,205 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 19 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts

#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #1 spot on the list. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 11 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Harvard has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard University is $2,973 for Massachusetts Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Harvard

#2

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeastern University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northeastern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern University is $10,239 for massachusetts design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Northeastern Design & Applied Arts Report

#3

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Boston University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Boston University is $12,903 for Massachusetts Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Boston U

#4

Springfield Technical Community College

Springfield, Massachusetts

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Springfield Technical Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, this small public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2019-2020.

STCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend STCC is $7,914 for massachusetts design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at STCC

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Lowell, Massachusetts, and it awarded 47 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Lowell, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $11,560 for Massachusetts Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell.

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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Massachusetts College of Art and Design landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a small school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 175 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Massachusetts College of Art and Design also took the #7 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts College of Art and Design is $18,422 for massachusetts design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Massachusetts College of Art and Design Design & Applied Arts Report

#7

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

Salem State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Salem, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

Salem State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Salem State University is $14,593 for Massachusetts Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Salem State University

#8

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMass Dartmouth is a medium-sized school located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts that handed out 44 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Dartmouth also took the #11 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Dartmouth is $13,925 for Massachusetts Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

#9

Framingham State University

Framingham, Massachusetts

Framingham State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Framingham State University is located in Framingham, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 ’s design degrees to qualified students.

Framingham State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Framingham State is $14,612 for Massachusetts Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Framingham State University

#10

Stonehill College

Easton, Massachusetts

Stonehill College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stonehill is a small school located in Easton, Massachusetts that handed out 11 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Stonehill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Stonehill is $22,284 for Massachusetts Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Stonehill College

#11

Emmanuel College Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts

Emmanuel College Massachusetts ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Emmanuel Boston has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $24,411 for massachusetts design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Emmanuel Boston.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Emmanuel Boston

#12

Endicott College

Beverly, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #12, Endicott College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Beverly, Massachusetts, and it awarded 42 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Endicott has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Endicott College is $27,432 for Massachusetts Design students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Endicott Design & Applied Arts Report

#13

Lasell University

Newton, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #13, Lasell University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Newton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

Lasell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lasell University is $23,873 for massachusetts design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Lasell

#14

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, Massachusetts

Wentworth Institute of Technology came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 59 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

WIT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $30,875 for Massachusetts Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wentworth Institute of Technology.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Wentworth Institute of Technology

#15

Suffolk University

Boston, Massachusetts

Suffolk University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Suffolk University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Suffolk also took the #10 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $27,748 for massachusetts design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Suffolk.

The low 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 Suffolk Design & Applied Arts Report

#16

Curry College

Milton, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #16, Curry College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Curry College is a small school located in Milton, Massachusetts that handed out 7 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Curry also took the #17 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $23,906 for massachusetts design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Curry.

Full Curry College Design & Applied Arts Report

#17

Lesley University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Lesley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 67 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2019-2020.

Lesley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lesley is $29,108 for massachusetts design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Lesley University

#18

Bay State College

Boston, Massachusetts

Bay State College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Bay State College also took the #19 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bay State College is $29,644 for massachusetts design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Bay State College

#19

Montserrat College of Art

Beverly, Massachusetts

Montserrat College of Art did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Montserrat College of Art is a private not-for-profit institution located in Beverly, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Montserrat College of Art also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Montserrat College of Art is $30,376 for massachusetts design students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Montserrat College of Art

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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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