2026 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia
[Design & Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 23 schools to find the best return on investment for design & applied arts students.
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2026 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in design & applied arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools
Virginia Western Community College earned the #1 spot for value among design & applied arts schools in Virginia. Set in the city of Roanoke, Virginia Western Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,400, with out-of-state students paying around $11,838. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $13,715. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $31,440. Set against $13,715 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Germanna Community College earned it the #2 place for design & applied arts. Located in the rural area of Locust Grove, Germanna Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,257, while out-of-state students pay about $11,648. Students borrow a median of $10,999 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Germanna Community College generally make around $41,880. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Tidewater Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in design & applied arts, landing the #3 spot this year. Tidewater Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Norfolk. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,858, compared with $12,296 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $10,195. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Tidewater Community College generally make around $22,935. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Thomas Nelson Community College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Set in the suburb of Hampton, Thomas Nelson Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,088 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $11,526. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $14,402. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $36,758. That is a strong return on a $14,402 median debt.
A rank of #5 makes Danville Community College one of the best values for design & applied arts. Danville Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Danville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,992, compared with $11,430 for out-of-state students. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $9,494 in student loans. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Danville Community College generally make around $44,922. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Northern Virginia Community College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Set in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,891, while out-of-state students pay about $12,410. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $18,250 in student loans. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $33,232. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Radford University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value design & applied arts schools. Located in the town of Radford, Radford University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,548, with out-of-state students paying around $25,633. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Radford University generally make around $34,096. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Radford University admits about 90% of applicants.
Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #8 spot for design & applied arts value this year. Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public school located in the city of Richmond. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,720, with out-of-state students paying around $39,884. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $25,937 in student loans. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $36,156. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 93%.
Regent University came in at #9 for value in design & applied arts this year. Located in the city of Virginia Beach, Regent University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,650. Typical student debt for design & applied arts graduates is $29,451. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Regent University generally make around $50,406. Set against $29,451 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University placed #10 among the best values for design & applied arts. Set in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,948, compared with $37,764 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,802 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University generally make around $46,761. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 55%.
Marymount University landed the #11 spot for design & applied arts value this year. Located in the city of Arlington, Marymount University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $40,120 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Marymount University generally make around $44,175. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Marymount University admits about 93% of applicants.
Liberty University earned the #12 position for value in design & applied arts this year. Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg. In-state tuition and fees average $16,173. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from Liberty University generally make around $40,295. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 23 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
