2023 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
72
Ranked Colleges
5,375
Degrees Awarded
$16,100
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 36,301 people earned their degree in design and applied arts, making the major the 36th most popular in the United States. 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 $75-$110k” ranking looked at 72 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.
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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region design students whose families make $75-$110k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Madison Area Technical College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 94 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Madison College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,790 for great lakes region design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Madison College.
Full Madison Area Technical College Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Sinclair Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 153 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,355 for great lakes region design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Sinclair Community College.
Full Sinclair Community College Design & Applied Arts Report
Out of the 72 schools in the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Cuyahoga Community College District landed the #3 spot on the list. Cuyahoga Community College District is a fairly large public school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 76 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cuyahoga Community College District is $8,443 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Cuyahoga Community College District
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. 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 $75-$110k list, Purdue has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $17,124 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Purdue
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
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. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $15,686 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Northwestern University
With a ranking of #6, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
Notre Dame also took the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,969 for great lakes region design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Full Notre Dame Design & Applied Arts Report
University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. This medium-sized school is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and it awarded 135 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Stout also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $18,293 for great lakes region design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stout Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #8, Milwaukee Area Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. MATC is a fairly large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 29 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,187 for great lakes region design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend MATC.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Milwaukee Area Technical College
Ivy Tech Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Ivy Tech Community College is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 190 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $12,123 for great lakes region design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Ivy Tech Community College.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Ivy Tech Community College
Kalamazoo Valley Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,596 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
Full Kalamazoo Valley Community College Design & Applied Arts Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. 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 yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $22,400 for great lakes region 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UIUC
Gateway Technical College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 54 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $12,802 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Gateway Technical College.
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.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Gateway Technical College
Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees 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 $20,234 for great lakes region design students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 IU Bloomington
Western Technical College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Western Technical College is a small school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 28 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Technical College is $13,616 for great lakes region design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Western Technical College
With a ranking of #15, Waukesha County Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. WCTC is a public institution located in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Waukesha County Technical College is $12,241 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
Full Waukesha County Technical College Design & Applied Arts Report
Ferris State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k 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 also took the #23 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ferris State University is $16,753 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Ferris State University
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school awarded 253 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $24,534 for great lakes region design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 low undergrad 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 UC
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 68 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $22,377 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Wisconsin - Madison
With a ranking of #19, Oakland University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Oakland is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 58 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $16,142 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 more about Design & Applied Arts at Oakland University
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #20. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 47 ’s design degrees 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 yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $21,575 for Great Lakes Region 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Ohio State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #21, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 83 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
UIC also took the #17 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $19,839 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UIC
With a ranking of #22, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k 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.
It costs about $18,135 for great lakes region design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Central Michigan University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Central Michigan University Design & Applied Arts Report
Ball State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ball State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $19,563 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Ball State University
Owens Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. Owens State Community College is a public institution located in Perrysburg, Ohio. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Owens State Community College is $12,536 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Owens State Community College
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UW - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $16,503 for Great Lakes Region Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UW - Stevens Point
