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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $75-$110k)

417 Ranked Colleges
19,683 Degrees Awarded
$16,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $75-$110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 19,683 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 417 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k”.

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. 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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $75-$110k)

#1

Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, New York

Out of the 417 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Fashion Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 560 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

FIT SUNY also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $12,082 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend FIT SUNY.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Fashion Institute of Technology Design & Applied Arts Report

#2

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

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 Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $12,685 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full University of Florida Design & Applied Arts Report

#3

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

Notre Dame also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $24,392 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. 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.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Notre Dame

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k list, Georgia Tech has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,846 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Georgia Tech.

The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 44 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $18,110 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Design & Applied Arts Report

#6

Queens College

Queens, New York

Queens College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. QC is located in Queens, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,549 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend QC.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Queens College

New York City College of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 129 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,106 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend City Tech.

Full City Tech Design & Applied Arts Report

#8

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 37 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Florida State also did well on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $15,074 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Florida State

California State University - Long Beach landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 130 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB excels when it comes to design quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,544 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Long Beach Design & Applied Arts Report

#10

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Bronx, New York 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.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman is $8,818 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Lehman College

With a ranking of #11, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Iowa State is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 227 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also took the #18 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $17,228 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Iowa State University

#12

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, New York

Farmingdale State College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Farmingdale State College is located in Farmingdale, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,882 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Farmingdale State College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Farmingdale State College Design & Applied Arts Report

#13

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue excels when it comes to design quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $18,565 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Purdue

With a ranking of #14, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, BYU is in the top on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $15,362 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Brigham Young University - Provo

University of California - Davis ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 235 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $17,622 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Davis Design & Applied Arts Report

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #16. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $11,819 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno State Design & Applied Arts Report

#17

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Washington University in St Louis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $25,505 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $75-$110k.

The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at WUSTL

With a ranking of #17, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $20,454 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#19

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

Franklin University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Franklin University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 12 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Franklin University is $15,537 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Franklin University Design & Applied Arts Report

#20

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stout is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 154 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Stout also did well on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. It costs about $18,410 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UW - Stout.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UW - Stout

#21

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 132 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UMN Twin Cities is also in the top of our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $19,942 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Utah Valley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #22. Orem, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 149 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UVU is $12,141 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Utah Valley University

#23

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #23, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 70 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

NC State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $19,541 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full NC State Design & Applied Arts Report

#24

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 44 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $19,590 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of California - Los Angeles

University of Nevada - Las Vegas ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. UNLV is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 39 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $15,165 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#28

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#29

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#32

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia
#33

Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, Louisiana
#34

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina
#37

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
#39

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#40

Stevenson University

Stevenson, Maryland
#41

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#42

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#43

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#44

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#45

Bellevue College

Bellevue, Washington
#48

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, New York
#50

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Weber State University Ogden, UT
52 SUNY Fredonia Fredonia, NY
53 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
54 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
55 Portland State University Portland, OR
56 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
56 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
58 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay, WI
59 University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA
60 Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA
61 Purchase College Purchase, NY
62 University of Delaware Newark, DE
63 Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI

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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