2027 Best Value Costume Design Schools
[Costume Design](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/drama-and-theater-arts/costume-design/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 12 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value costume design schools.
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Finding the Best Value Costume Design School for You
Where you study costume design affects both what you pay and what you earn. That is why we developed our Best Value Costume Design Schools ranking. We score each school on the balance of tuition, student debt, and post-graduation earnings to surface the best value.
Learn more about our methodology
Customizing Your List
We offer a number of rankings, including this Best Value Costume Design Schools list, to help you decide. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Read more about College Factual’s methodology
2027 Best Value Costume Design Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in costume design, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Costume Design Schools
Red Rocks Community College tops our 2027 list of the best value costume design schools in the United States. Located in the suburb of Lakewood, Red Rocks Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,859, compared with $17,459 for out-of-state students. Costume Design graduates carry a median of $14,471 in student loans. Costume Design graduates of Red Rocks Community College earn a median of $76,340 early in their careers. Set against $14,471 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in costume design will find it at Bossier Parish Community College, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Bossier City, Bossier Parish Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,268. Costume Design graduates carry a median of $20,593 in student loans. Soon after graduation, costume design degree recipients from Bossier Parish Community College generally make around $43,661. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #3 makes Mesa Community College one of the best values for costume design. Located in the city of Mesa, Mesa Community College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,358, with out-of-state students paying around $8,959. Students borrow a median of $13,750 to complete the costume design program here. Soon after graduation, costume design degree recipients from Mesa Community College generally make around $54,730. Set against $13,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southern Oregon University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value costume design schools. Located in the suburb of Ashland, Southern Oregon University is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,762, compared with $31,887 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,750 to complete the costume design program here. Costume Design graduates of Southern Oregon University earn a median of $41,038 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Stephens College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in costume design, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Columbia, Stephens College is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $28,300 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for costume design graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, costume design degree recipients from Stephens College generally make around $16,476. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Webster University came in at #6 for value in costume design this year. Webster University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. Students from in state pay about $31,750 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the costume design program here. Soon after graduation, costume design degree recipients from Webster University generally make around $13,182. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Webster University admits about 86% of applicants.
Shenandoah University ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value costume design schools. Located in the city of Winchester, Shenandoah University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $36,950. Typical student debt for costume design graduates is $27,000. Early-career costume design graduates make about $62,948. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Bennington College landed the #8 spot for costume design value this year. Set in the town of Bennington, Bennington College is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $66,262. Typical student debt for costume design graduates is $26,445. Early-career costume design graduates make about $16,579. That is a strong return on a $26,445 median debt. The acceptance rate is 44%.
Carnegie Mellon University ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value costume design schools. Carnegie Mellon University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,636. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the costume design program here. Early-career costume design graduates make about $27,391. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Carnegie Mellon University admits about 12% of applicants.
Marymount Manhattan College ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value costume design schools. Set in the city of New York, Marymount Manhattan College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,870. Costume Design graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career costume design graduates make about $30,533. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
Academy Of Art University came in at #11 for value in costume design this year. Set in the city of San Francisco, Academy Of Art University is a moderately-sized private for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $30,736. Costume Design graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Costume Design graduates of Academy Of Art University earn a median of $28,717 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt.
California Institute Of The Arts landed the #12 spot for costume design value this year. Located in the suburb of Valencia, California Institute Of The Arts is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $58,996 in tuition and fees. Costume Design graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career costume design graduates make about $22,475. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. California Institute Of The Arts admits about 32% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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.
