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2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

116 Ranked Colleges
5,765 Degrees Awarded
$8,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Visual Communications is the 154th most popular major in the country with 5,765 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

For this year’s “Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 116 colleges that offer a degree in visual communications. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality visual communications 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 visual communications program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Visual Communications Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for graphic arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Visual Communications (Income $30-$48k)

1
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 53 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also took the #3 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $2,446 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Visual Communications at WUSTL

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s graphic arts degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best Visual Communications Schools” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $1,938 for graphic arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UPenn Visual Communications Report

3
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 116 schools in the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.

Purdue also made our “Best Visual Communications Schools” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $5,853 for graphic arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Visual Communications at Purdue University - Main Campus

4
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 116 schools in the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #4 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $917 for graphic arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%.

Full Northwestern University Visual Communications Report

5

Out of the 116 schools in the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Visual Communications Schools” list. It costs about $6,399 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW Seattle.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Visual Communications Report

6
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $7,061 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual Communications at IU Bloomington

7

Austin Community College District ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Austin Community College District is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 58 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Austin Community College District is $4,907 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Visual Communications at Austin Community College District

8

Iowa State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 44 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our graphic arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Iowa State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,427 for graphic arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Iowa State University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Visual Communications at Iowa State

9
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

El Centro College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dallas, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s graphic arts degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,619 for graphic arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend El Centro College.

Read more about Visual Communications at El Centro College

10
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #10, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon also took the #2 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon is $13,608 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Carnegie Mellon University Visual Communications Report

11

Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. BYU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $10,333 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual Communications at BYU

12

University of California - Davis ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s graphic arts degrees to 228 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our graphic arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Davis has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Visual Communications Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,598 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Visual Communications at UC Davis

13

Madison Area Technical College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,473 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Madison College.

Full Madison Area Technical College Visual Communications Report

14
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

With a ranking of #14, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Visual Communications Schools” list. It costs about $9,136 for graphic arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

The undergraduate 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual Communications at University of Notre Dame

15

New York City College of Technology ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 125 diplomas to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,588 for graphic arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend City Tech.

Read full report on Visual Communications at City Tech

16

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,581 for graphic arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual Communications at Ohio State University - Main Campus

17
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. NC State is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 34 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $9,448 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Visual Communications at NC State

18

University of North Texas came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school handed out 69 diplomas to qualified ’s graphic arts students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UNT is $6,401 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full UNT Visual Communications Report

19
Salt Lake Community College crest
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake Community College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Salt Lake Community College is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 14 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Salt Lake Community College is $5,780 for graphic arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Visual Communications at Salt Lake Community College

20

With a ranking of #20, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 68 ’s graphic arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $14,977 for graphic arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Visual Communications Report

21

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $10,628 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual Communications at Arizona State University - Tempe

22
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, Indiana

With a ranking of #22, Ivy Tech Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s graphic arts degrees to 177 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Ivy Tech Community College is $6,820 for graphic arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Visual Communications at Ivy Tech Community College

23

With a ranking of #23, Utah Valley University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UVU is a public institution located in Orem, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 265 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Utah Valley University is $9,992 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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 full report on Visual Communications at UVU

24
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Bellingham, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s graphic arts degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $11,357 for Graphic Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual Communications at Western Washington University

25
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Arts Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Delaware is located in Newark, Delaware and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s graphic arts degrees to qualified students.

UD also took the #25 spot in our “Best Visual Communications Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,583 for graphic arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UD.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual Communications at University of Delaware

Notes and References

References

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