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2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

36 Ranked Colleges
1,505 Degrees Awarded
$30,905 Avg Salary
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,505 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 36 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

UT Austin also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $15,757 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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%.

Full UT Austin Design & Applied Arts Report

#2

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in San Marcos, Texas, this large public school handed out 126 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas State University is $14,250 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Texas State

#3

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,505 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UH.

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

Full University of Houston Design & Applied Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Arizona State University - Tempe. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 180 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $14,033 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at ASU - Tempe

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 110 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UNT also took the #8 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNT is $15,377 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of North Texas

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $14,698 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend OSU.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at OSU

The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. UT Dallas is a public institution located in Richardson, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 187 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Dallas did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $13,797 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UT Dallas.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#8

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech is $17,421 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

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

Texas Woman’s University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Texas Woman’s University is a fairly large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 7 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

TWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend TWU is $9,629 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at TWU

#14 in overall quality

Stephen F Austin State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Nacogdoches, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

SFASU also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $13,644 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stephen F Austin State University.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at SFASU

Texas A&M University - Commerce ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Texas A&M University - Commerce is a public institution located in Commerce, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M Commerce also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M Commerce is $14,033 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Texas A&M University - Commerce Design & Applied Arts Report

#12

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SHSU is located in Huntsville, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k list, SHSU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sam Houston State University is $14,832 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Sam Houston State University

#13

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northern Arizona University is located in Flagstaff, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 88 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

NAU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northern Arizona University is $12,675 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Northern Arizona University

#14

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas

West Texas A&M University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. West Texas A&M University is a public institution located in Canyon, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for West Texas A&M University is $11,101 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at West Texas A&M University

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Oklahoma is a large public school situated in Norman, Oklahoma. It awarded 45 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Oklahoma, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $21,812 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Oklahoma Design & Applied Arts Report

University of Central Oklahoma ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCO is a public institution located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCO has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $18,693 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Central Oklahoma.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UCO

#17

Oklahoma Christian University

Edmond, Oklahoma

Oklahoma Christian University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. OC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Edmond, Oklahoma. It awarded 39 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

OC also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend OC is $20,865 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at OC

#18

Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, Texas

Prairie View A & M University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. PVAMU is a medium-sized school located in Prairie View, Texas that handed out 7 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,610 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Prairie View A & M University.

Full Prairie View A & M University Design & Applied Arts Report

#19

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, Texas
#15 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Corpus Christi, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi is $18,590 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Texas A&M Corpus Christi

#20

Oklahoma Baptist University

Shawnee, Oklahoma
#17 in overall quality

Oklahoma Baptist University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k list, OBU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oklahoma Baptist University is $21,956 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full OBU Design & Applied Arts Report

#21

Oral Roberts University

Tulsa, Oklahoma
#16 in overall quality

Oral Roberts University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. ORU is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ORU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ORU is $25,145 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Oral Roberts University

#22

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, Arizona
#21 in overall quality

Grand Canyon University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Grand Canyon University is a large private for-profit school situated in Phoenix, Arizona. It awarded 34 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Grand Canyon University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Canyon University is $21,380 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Grand Canyon University Design & Applied Arts Report

Southern Methodist University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Southern Methodist University is a fairly large school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 7 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

SMU also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $31,813 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Methodist University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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.

Full SMU Design & Applied Arts Report

#24

University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, Texas

University of the Incarnate Word came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIW is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $25,383 for southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIW.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UIW

Lubbock Christian University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k list, LCU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for LCU is $23,347 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at LCU

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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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