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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region

19 Ranked Colleges
190 Degrees Awarded
$30,900 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 Great Lakes region, there were 5,582 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,377 and $26,458 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 190 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.

This year’s “Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in design and applied arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great design and applied arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $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. 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.

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Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k

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

Top 19 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 6 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Purdue University - Main Campus

#2

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a medium-sized school located in Menomonie, Wisconsin that handed out 1 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #0. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Stout are $16,851.

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

#3

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ferris State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k. Ferris State University is a fairly large school located in Big Rapids, Michigan that handed out 8 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Ferris also took the #10 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ferris State University are $7,908.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Ferris State University

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #4 spot on the list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 1 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IUPUI, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis are $26,013.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois Institute of Technology. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 8 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech also took the #5 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois Tech are $30,695, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Illinois Tech

#3 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s design students in 2019-2020.

U-M also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#8 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

UIC also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIC are $27,036, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Illinois at Chicago

#8

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #8. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 7 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Eastern Michigan also took the #18 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Eastern Michigan University are $26,552, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Eastern Michigan

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus are $26,644, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

#10

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#15 in overall quality

Ball State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Ball State is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

Ball State also took the #15 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ball State are $26,204, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

Kent State University at Kent landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 15 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Kent State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. Average graduate tuition and fees at Kent State are $21,952, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Kent State

With a ranking of #12, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. BGSU is located in Bowling Green, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BGSU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at BGSU are $15,823, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

#16 in overall quality

Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Athens, Ohio, and it awarded 15 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at OHIO Athens, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at OHIO Athens are $17,712.

Full OHIO Athens Design & Applied Arts Report

#9 in overall quality

Columbus College of Art and Design landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s design degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k list, CCAD has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at CCAD are $37,370, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full CCAD Design & Applied Arts Report

#15

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 2 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Notre Dame are $57,522.

Full Notre Dame Design & Applied Arts Report

#16

College for Creative Studies

Detroit, Michigan
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, College for Creative Studies did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s design degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

CCS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at College for Creative Studies are $49,655, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full College for Creative Studies Design & Applied Arts Report

#17

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Northwestern University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s design students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Northwestern Design & Applied Arts Report

#18

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #18. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s design degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul are $19,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at DePaul University

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, School of the Art Institute of Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

School of the Art Institute of Chicago also took the #14 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at School of the Art Institute of Chicago are $43,912, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at School of the Art Institute of Chicago

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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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