2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
72
Ranked Colleges
5,375
Degrees Awarded
$8,200
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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Design & Applied Arts is the 36th most popular major in the country with 36,301 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 Great Lakes region, there were 5,375 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,734 and $25,957 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 72 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 6 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $917 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Northwestern
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 63 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region design students whose families make $30-$48k list, Purdue has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,853 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 Purdue
Out of the 72 schools in the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 68 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $4,788 for great lakes region design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Wisconsin - Madison
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 105 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $8,036 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UIUC
Out of the 72 schools in the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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 ’s design degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also took the #15 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $7,061 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full IU Bloomington Design & Applied Arts Report
Sinclair Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Sinclair Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 153 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,227 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sinclair Community College.
Full Sinclair Community College Design & Applied Arts Report
Madison Area Technical College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Madison Area Technical College is a fairly large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 94 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Madison College also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $8,473 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Madison College.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Madison Area Technical College
University of Notre Dame came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 43 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame also took the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $9,136 for great lakes region design students whose families make $30-$48k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Notre Dame
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 47 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,581 for great lakes region design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. 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
University of Wisconsin - Stout ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Stout is a medium-sized school located in Menomonie, Wisconsin that handed out 135 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Stout did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stout is $10,958 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Wisconsin - Stout
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $8,216 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full IUPUI Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #12, Ivy Tech Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ivy Tech Community College is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 190 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Ivy Tech Community College is $6,820 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Ivy Tech Community College
Cuyahoga Community College District came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cuyahoga Community College District is a fairly large public school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 76 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Cuyahoga Community College District is $4,171 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Cuyahoga Community College District
Oakland University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 58 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,839 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oakland University.
The undergrad 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Oakland University
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 83 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region design students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIC has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $11,351 for great lakes region design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Chicago Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #16, Milwaukee Area Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend MATC is $8,079 for great lakes region design students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Milwaukee Area Technical College Design & Applied Arts Report
Kalamazoo Valley Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Kalamazoo Valley Community College is a medium-sized school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 14 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Kalamazoo Valley Community College is $4,154 for great lakes region design students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Ball State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school awarded 39 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
Ball State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $10,786 for great lakes region design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Ball State
Ferris State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Big Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 112 students in 2020-2021.
Ferris not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ferris State University is $9,859 for great lakes region design students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Ferris State University
Western Technical College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Western Technical College is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Western Technical College is $7,768 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The impressive undergraduate 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 more about Design & Applied Arts at Western Technical College
Waukesha County Technical College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Waukesha County Technical College is located in Pewaukee, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend WCTC is $6,863 for great lakes region design students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full WCTC Design & Applied Arts Report
Michigan State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school awarded 97 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $15,170 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Michigan State University
Gateway Technical College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Gateway Technical College is a medium-sized public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 54 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Gateway Technical College is $7,756 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Gateway Technical College Design & Applied Arts Report
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. UC is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 253 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC is $15,966 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national 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.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Central Michigan University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Central Michigan University is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 69 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $12,346 for great lakes region design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.
Full Central Michigan Design & Applied Arts Report
