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2022 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in Massachusetts (With Aid)

19 Ranked Colleges
920 Degrees Awarded
$26,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that 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 Massachusetts, there were 920 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,353 and $27,205 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 19 colleges that offer 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” 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. 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.

Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts design students with aid.

Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in Massachusetts (With Aid)

#1

Springfield Technical Community College

Springfield, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Springfield Technical Community College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid. Springfield, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

STCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $8,943 for massachusetts design students with aid per year to attend Springfield Technical Community College.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at STCC

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 11 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard also took the #6 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $15,386 for Massachusetts Design students with aid per year to attend Harvard University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Harvard University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. University of Massachusetts - Lowell is a public institution located in Lowell, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Lowell also took the #8 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $19,119 for Massachusetts Design students with aid per year to attend UMass Lowell.

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%.

Full University of Massachusetts - Lowell Design & Applied Arts Report

#4

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Salem State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Salem, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2019-2020.

Salem State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Salem State is $18,399 for massachusetts design students with aid.

Full Salem State University Design & Applied Arts Report

#5

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school handed out 44 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2019-2020.

UMass Dartmouth also took the #11 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $18,503 for massachusetts design students with aid per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

Massachusetts College of Art and Design ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 175 students in 2019-2020.

Massachusetts College of Art and Design not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $24,043 for massachusetts design students with aid per year to attend Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

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.

Full Massachusetts College of Art and Design Design & Applied Arts Report

#7

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Boston University is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 48 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $30,259 for Massachusetts Design students with aid per year to attend Boston University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Boston University

#8

Framingham State University

Framingham, Massachusetts

Framingham State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Framingham State University is a public institution located in Framingham, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Framingham State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Framingham State University is $20,001 for Massachusetts Design students with aid.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Framingham State

#9

Lasell University

Newton, Massachusetts

Lasell University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Lasell is a small school located in Newton, Massachusetts that handed out 36 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts design students with aid list, Lasell has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lasell University is $27,428 for massachusetts design students with aid.

Full Lasell University Design & Applied Arts Report

#10

Stonehill College

Easton, Massachusetts

Stonehill College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Easton, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Stonehill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stonehill is $34,658 for Massachusetts Design students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 86%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Stonehill College

#11

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #11, Wentworth Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Wentworth Institute of Technology is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 59 ’s design degrees to qualified students.

WIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for WIT is $36,113 for Massachusetts Design students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Wentworth Institute of Technology

#12

Emmanuel College Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #12, Emmanuel College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Emmanuel Boston is a small school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 10 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts design students with aid list, Emmanuel Boston has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emmanuel Boston is $28,314 for Massachusetts Design students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Emmanuel Boston

#13

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Northeastern University is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 64 ’s design degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our massachusetts design students with aid list, Northeastern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $31,093 for massachusetts design students with aid per year to attend Northeastern University.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northeastern University Design & Applied Arts Report

#14

Endicott College

Beverly, Massachusetts

Endicott College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Beverly, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 42 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2019-2020.

Endicott also took the #4 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Endicott College is $35,642 for massachusetts design students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Endicott

#15

Suffolk University

Boston, Massachusetts

Suffolk University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Suffolk is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts design students with aid list, Suffolk has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Suffolk is $30,701 for massachusetts design students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Suffolk University

#16

Bay State College

Boston, Massachusetts

Bay State College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bay State College is a small private for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 1 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Bay State College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bay State College is $31,777 for massachusetts design students with aid.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Bay State College

#17

Lesley University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Lesley University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Lesley is a small school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 67 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Lesley also took the #12 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $33,644 for massachusetts design students with aid per year to attend Lesley.

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. 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%.

Full Lesley Design & Applied Arts Report

#18

Curry College

Milton, Massachusetts

Curry College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Curry is located in Milton, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 ’s design degrees to qualified students.

Curry did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Curry College is $27,739 for Massachusetts Design students with aid.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Curry

#19

Montserrat College of Art

Beverly, Massachusetts

Montserrat College of Art did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Montserrat College of Art is a small school located in Beverly, Massachusetts that handed out 16 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts design students with aid list, Montserrat College of Art has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Montserrat College of Art is $31,313 for massachusetts design students with aid.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Montserrat College of Art

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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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