Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Design & Applied Arts

Find Schools Near

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

412 Ranked Colleges
19,683 Degrees Awarded
$17,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making Over $110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k” ranking looked at 412 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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.

13820175551818216000156951889519086130181305817782181802130417067189151576912632187711594813395128241736718410130222267726200

Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k.

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

#1

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $6,302 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, 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 University of Florida Design & Applied Arts Report

#2

Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, New York

Out of the 412 schools in the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Fashion Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. FIT SUNY is a medium-sized school located in New York, New York that handed out 560 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

FIT SUNY not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Fashion Institute of Technology is $10,523 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.

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%. 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Fashion Institute of Technology

Out of the 412 schools in the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 41 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k list, Georgia Tech has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $14,739 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Design & Applied Arts Report

#4

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

Florida State excels when it comes to design quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $9,789 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Florida State University.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Florida State

#5

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Franklin University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Franklin University is $12,895 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Franklin University

With a ranking of #6, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $15,496 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 Iowa State Design & Applied Arts Report

#7

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 154 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UW - Stout is in the top on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $15,839 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Wisconsin - Stout

New York City College of Technology ranked #8 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 129 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,667 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend City Tech.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at City Tech

#9

Queens College

Queens, New York

With a ranking of #9, Queens College did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. QC is a fairly large public school situated in Queens, New York. It awarded 102 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $3,067 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.

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 more about Design & Applied Arts at Queens College

Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 107 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

BYU 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. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $13,322 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Brigham Young University - Provo Design & Applied Arts Report

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also claimed a top spot on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $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 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Long Beach

#12

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #12, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 42 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also claimed a top spot on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,986 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Purdue

#13

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #13. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 25 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UW - Stevens Point is in the top on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $14,465 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at UW - Stevens Point

With a ranking of #14, North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. Fargo, North Dakota 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.

On top of its placing in this ranking, North Dakota State University also did well on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $16,584 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 North Dakota State University

University of Nevada - Las Vegas ranked #15 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 39 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UNLV is $11,424 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

Utah Valley University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Utah Valley University is a large public school situated in Orem, Utah. It awarded 149 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Utah Valley University is $9,159 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at UVU

#17

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Appalachian State is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 144 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Appalachian State is also in the top of our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $13,920 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Appalachian State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Appalachian State University

#18

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, New York

Farmingdale State College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. Farmingdale, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale is $8,638 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale

#19

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

With a ranking of #19, Northern Kentucky University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. Highland Heights, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,049 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Northern Kentucky University.

Full NKU Design & Applied Arts Report

Seminole State College of Florida landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Seminole State College of Florida is a fairly large public school situated in Sanford, Florida. It awarded 34 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Seminole State College of Florida is $8,326 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Seminole State College of Florida

#21

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #21. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

UNI excels when it comes to design quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNI is $15,620 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at UNI

#22

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah ranked #22 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Utah is $14,773 for Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Utah

#23

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lehman is $1,814 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Lehman

#24

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k ranking. NC State is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 70 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k list, NC State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $16,458 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at NC State

#25

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech ranked #25 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 60 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $21,198 for bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Virginia Tech

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making Over $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

Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, Louisiana
#28

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia
#30

Bellevue College

Bellevue, Washington
#34

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia
#35

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#37

Bellevue University

Bellevue, Nebraska
#38

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, Arkansas
#39

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia
#40

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
#42

Weber State University

Ogden, Utah
#45

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#46

Clemson University

Clemson, South Carolina
#47

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#48

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#49

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#50

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

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

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

Rank College Location
51 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
52 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
53 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO
54 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
55 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO
56 University of Delaware Newark, DE
57 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
57 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
59 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
60 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD
61 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
61 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA

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.

Featured Performing Arts Schools

Find Schools Near You