2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 Pennsylvania, there were 1,110 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,866 and $26,524 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 833 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 25 colleges that offered a degree 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.
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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 for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
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Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in Pennsylvania (With Aid)
Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is a small public school situated in Mansfield, Pennsylvania. It awarded 7 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Mansfield University also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Mansfield University is $19,065 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Mansfield University
Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Millersville University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. Millersville University of Pennsylvania is located in Millersville, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid list, Millersville has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millersville University of Pennsylvania is $23,350 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Millersville University of Pennsylvania
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid. Kutztown University is a medium-sized school located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania that handed out 53 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Kutztown University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kutztown University is $22,422 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Full Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. California University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in California, Pennsylvania that handed out 22 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal U, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal U is $18,154 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
Full California University of Pennsylvania Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Marywood University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid. Marywood University is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
Marywood also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Marywood University is $22,236 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.
Temple University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid list, Temple has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $23,521 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend Temple.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. East Stroudsburg University is a public institution located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at East Stroudsburg University, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend East Stroudsburg University is $19,855 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at East Stroudsburg University
With a ranking of #8, Albright College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Albright College is a small school located in Reading, Pennsylvania that handed out 25 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid list, Albright has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Albright is $19,469 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Indiana, Pennsylvania that handed out 24 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
IUP also took the #15 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is $22,448 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus
York College of Pennsylvania landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. YCP is a private not-for-profit institution located in York, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid list, YCP has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for YCP is $20,652 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $14,848 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
La Roche University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
La Roche also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend La Roche University is $20,199 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Cabrini University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Radnor, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
Cabrini University also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $21,684 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend Cabrini University.
Susquehanna University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Susquehanna University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Susquehanna also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $25,724 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend Susquehanna.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
With a ranking of #15, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carnegie Mellon, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon is $34,508 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Seton Hill University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Seton Hill is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 4 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Seton Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $23,620 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend Seton Hill University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Seton Hill University
Thomas Jefferson University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 68 students in 2019-2020.
Thomas Jefferson University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Thomas Jefferson University is $25,162 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 Thomas Jefferson University
Pennsylvania College of Technology landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Penn College is a small public school situated in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It awarded 19 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Penn College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pennsylvania College of Technology is $25,794 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Pennsylvania College of Technology
Robert Morris University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. RMU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
RMU also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for RMU is $26,839 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Mercyhurst University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Mercyhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Erie, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Mercyhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mercyhurst is $23,886 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Mercyhurst University
Arcadia University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Arcadia University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Glenside, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Arcadia, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Arcadia is $27,189 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.
Drexel University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 185 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Drexel, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Drexel University is $34,914 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. PAFA is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 5 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
PAFA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $26,284 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend PAFA.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Moore College of Art and Design did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Moore College of Art and Design is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Moore College also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Moore College of Art and Design is $32,846 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Moore College of Art and Design
The University of the Arts landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of the Arts is a small school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 71 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
UArts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $40,332 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend UArts.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
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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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