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Best Value Graphic Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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2023 Best Value Graphic Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

12 Colleges
$27,388 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$30,670 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Graphic Communications School for You

Graphic Communications is the #124 most popular major in the country with 7,518 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

The Best Value Graphic Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 12 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which programs offered the best value experiences for graphic communication students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Graphic Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Graphic Communications Colleges.

Top 10 Best Graphic Communications Schools

Our analysis found Northeast Wisconsin Technical College to be the best value school for graphic communications students who want to pursue a degree in the Great Lakes Region . NWTC is a large public school located in the midsize city of Green Bay.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NWTC are $6,849 per year.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Graphic Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the distant town of Menomonie, UW - Stout is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

UW - Stout undergraduate students pay an average of $17,820 in tuition and fees each year. On average, graphic communication graduates from UW - Stout take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Stout also is in the top 10% of our Best Graphic Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.

Full Graphic Communications at University of Wisconsin - Stout Report

#3

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI
$13,188 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ferris State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Graphic Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the distant town of Big Rapids, Ferris is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Ferris are $13,188 a year. While working on their degree, graphic communication majors at Ferris accumulate an average of around $27,382 in student debt.

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$13,297 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Western Illinois University is a great value for graphic communications students. WIU is a moderately-sized public school located in the remote town of Macomb.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WIU are $13,297 a year.

Read full report on Graphic Communications at Western Illinois University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Graphic Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Illinois State undergraduate students pay an average of $24,172 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, graphic communication graduates from Illinois State carry an average student debtload of $19,500.

Illinois State also claimed a spot on our Best Graphic Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.

Full Graphic Communications at Illinois State University Report

$21,050 Average Tuition & Fees

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for graphic communications students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the fringe town of Bowling Green, BGSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

BGSU undergraduate students pay an average of $21,050 in tuition and fees each year. Graphic Communication majors at BGSU take out an average of $26,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $285.

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#7

DePaul University

Chicago, IL
$42,012 Average Tuition & Fees

DePaul University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graphic communications programs. DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at DePaul are $42,012 per year. On average, graphic communication graduates from DePaul take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $531, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Graphic Communications at DePaul University

#8

Carroll University

Waukesha, WI

Carroll University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graphic communications programs. Located in the city of Waukesha, Carroll U is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Carroll U are $35,140 per year. On average, graphic communication graduates from Carroll U take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Carroll U excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Graphic Communications Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.

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#9

Huntington University

Huntington, IN
$28,192 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, Huntington University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for graphic communications students. Huntington is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Huntington.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Huntington are $28,192 per year. Graphic Communication majors at Huntington take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

#10

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL
$27,786 Average Tuition & Fees

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for graphic communications students. It came in at #10 on the list. Columbia is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Columbia are $27,786 a year. On average, graphic communication graduates from Columbia take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $603.

Full Graphic Communications at Columbia College Chicago Report

Best Graphic Communications Colleges by State

Explore the best graphic communications schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 190
Ohio 201
Illinois 345
Indiana 18
Wisconsin 102

Graphic Communications is one of 3 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Audiovisual Communications 6,229
Communications Technology 915
Other Communication Technology 164

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 12 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Auburn University College of Architecture, Design and Construction.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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