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2022 Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

48 Ranked Colleges
3,229 Degrees Awarded
$9,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 the Southwest region, there were 3,229 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,160 and $27,678 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 48 colleges that offer a degree 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The design school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Collin County Community College District landed the #1 spot on the list. Collin County Community College District is a large school located in McKinney, Texas that handed out 173 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k list, Collin County Community College District has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Collin County Community College District is $5,536 for southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Collin County Community College District Design & Applied Arts Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Austin Community College District. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 73 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Austin Community College District also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Austin Community College District is $4,362 for Southwest Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Austin Community College District Design & Applied Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of North Texas is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 117 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNT, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $9,082 for Southwest Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UNT Design & Applied Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. OSU Institute of Technology is a small public school situated in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. It awarded 13 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU Institute of Technology also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology is $4,299 for southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology Design & Applied Arts Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it awarded 59 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for OSU is $9,962 for southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full OSU Design & Applied Arts Report

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 221 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $8,921 for southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Arizona State University - Tempe.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at ASU - Tempe

#7

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

With a ranking of #7, Texas Tech University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Texas Tech University is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 ’s design degrees to qualified students.

Texas Tech also took the #7 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech is $13,326 for Southwest Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Texas Tech University

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 67 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Austin has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,575 for Southwest Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UT Austin.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Design & Applied Arts Report

Texas Woman’s University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Denton, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Texas Woman’s University is $7,050 for southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at TWU

#10

Pima Community College

Tucson, Arizona

Pima Community College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Pima County Community College District is $3,417 for Southwest Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Pima County Community College District

#11

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Houston is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 37 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k list, UH has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $9,925 for Southwest Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UH.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Houston Design & Applied Arts Report

#12

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

With a ranking of #12, Texas State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in San Marcos, Texas, and it awarded 133 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k list, Texas State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,292 for southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas State University.

Full Texas State Design & Applied Arts Report

#13

San Antonio College

San Antonio, Texas

With a ranking of #13, San Antonio College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 46 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,189 for Southwest Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Antonio College.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at San Antonio College

The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UT Dallas is a large school located in Richardson, Texas that handed out 188 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Dallas not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Dallas is $11,745 for Southwest Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at The University of Texas at Dallas

Stephen F Austin State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SFASU is a fairly large school located in Nacogdoches, Texas that handed out 14 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

SFASU also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Stephen F Austin State University is $10,816 for southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at SFASU

With a ranking of #16, Texas State Technical College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. TSTC is a fairly large school located in Waco, Texas that handed out 52 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

TSTC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $9,067 for southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas State Technical College.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at TSTC

Texas A&M University - Commerce did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Texas A&M University - Commerce is a fairly large school located in Commerce, Texas that handed out 15 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M Commerce did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - Commerce is $10,580 for Southwest Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Texas A&M Commerce Design & Applied Arts Report

San Jacinto Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Jacinto Community College is a large school located in Pasadena, Texas that handed out 62 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for San Jacinto College is $8,502 for southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at San Jacinto Community College

#19

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. NAU is a large school located in Flagstaff, Arizona that handed out 89 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Arizona University is $9,799 for Southwest Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at NAU

#20

Kilgore College

Kilgore, Texas

Kilgore College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kilgore College is a medium-sized school located in Kilgore, Texas that handed out 15 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Kilgore College is $7,255 for southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Kilgore College

#21

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Huntsville, Texas, this large public school handed out 26 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2019-2020.

SHSU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,634 for Southwest Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SHSU.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at SHSU

#22

Mesa Community College

Mesa, Arizona

Mesa Community College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Mesa, Arizona, this fairly large public school awarded 50 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Mesa Community College is $9,317 for Southwest Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Mesa Community College

With a ranking of #23, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large school located in Norman, Oklahoma that handed out 45 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma also took the #4 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $17,285 for southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

University of Central Oklahoma came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edmond, Oklahoma, and it awarded 35 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCO, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,381 for Southwest Region Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCO.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UCO

#25

South Plains College

Levelland, Texas

South Plains College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. South Plains College is located in Levelland, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 ’s design degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,419 for southwest region design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend South Plains College.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at South Plains College

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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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