2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,166 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 78 colleges that offer a degree 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.
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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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid”.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 108 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,708 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, 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 95%.
Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 42 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
Purdue also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus Design & Applied Arts Report
Out of the 78 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #4 spot on the list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 79 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $13,253 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Menomonie, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 154 students in 2019-2020.
UW - Stout not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stout is $15,839 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.
Franklin University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Franklin University is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Franklin University is $12,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Franklin University
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Design & Applied Arts Report
University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 68 students in 2019-2020.
UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,312 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 18 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Michigan State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school awarded 86 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $19,173 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
With a ranking of #11, Ball State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $15,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 18 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $11,285 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Ferris State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ferris State University is a public institution located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Ferris State University is $12,889 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
With a ranking of #14, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Central Michigan University is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $15,981 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Central Michigan University
Purdue University Fort Wayne came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Purdue University Fort Wayne is a public institution located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Fort Wayne is $10,912 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 43 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,616 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Oakland University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oakland University is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 58 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
Full Northeastern Illinois University Design & Applied Arts Report
Saginaw Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Saginaw Valley State University is a medium-sized school located in University Center, Michigan that handed out 36 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $14,248 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Saginaw Valley State University
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 205 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $21,843 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
With a ranking of #21, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
University of Notre Dame ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $33,025 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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. 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.
Illinois State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Illinois State University
Kent State University at Kent landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kent State University at Kent is located in Kent, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 234 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
Kent State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $18,885 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
With a ranking of #25, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Western Michigan University
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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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