2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree School for You
Design & Applied Arts is the #36 most popular major in the country with 36,301 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. This report analyzed 109 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for design students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for design majors pursuing a associate degree.
Top 15% Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools
Our analysis found LDS Business College to be the best value school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a associate degree in the United States. LDS Business College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Salt Lake City.
LDS Business College undergraduate students pay an average of $3,656 in tuition and fees each year.
Out of the 109 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Alexandria Technical & Community College landed the # 2 spot on the list. ATCC is a small public school located in the remote town of Alexandria.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ATCC are $5,910 per year. After completing their Associate Degree, design graduates from ATCC carry an average student debtload of $14,460.
In addition to its great value ranking, ATCC is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools list.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Alexandria Technical & Community College
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Madison Area Technical College is a great value for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the large city of Madison, Madison College is a public college with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Madison College are $6,769 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at Madison College accumulate an average of around $19,387 in student debt.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Madison College also is in the top 5% of our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Madison Area Technical College
The excellent associate degree programs at Metropolitan Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value design and applied arts schools in the United States. Located in the large city of Omaha, MCC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MCC are $4,680 a year. On average, design graduates from MCC take out $13,937 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
In addition to its great value ranking, MCC is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools list.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Metropolitan Community College Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Collin County Community College District. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Collin County Community College District is a very large public school located in the midsize suburb of McKinney.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Collin County Community College District are $5,104 per year. On average, design graduates from Collin County Community College District take out $14,236 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Collin County Community College District also is in the top 5% of our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Collin County Community College District
Johnson County Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for design and applied arts students to get a associate degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Overland Park, JCCC is a public school with a large student population.
JCCC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,352 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, design graduates from JCCC carry an average student debtload of $14,972.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, JCCC also did well on our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Johnson County Community College Report
With a ranking of #7, Waukesha County Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the suburb of Pewaukee, WCTC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WCTC are $6,603 per year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at WCTC take out while working on their Associate Degree is $18,801.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, WCTC also is in the top 15% of our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Waukesha County Technical College
Century College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for design and applied arts students to get a associate degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Century College is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of White Bear Lake.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Century College are $5,907 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at Century College accumulate an average of around $18,527 in student debt.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Century College also did well on our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Century College
Bismarck State College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree design and applied arts programs. BSC is a small public school located in the small city of Bismarck.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BSC are $6,930 per year. On average, design graduates from BSC take out $12,189 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, BSC also is in the top 5% of our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Bismarck State College
Scottsdale Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for design and applied arts students to get a associate degree. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the rural area of Scottsdale, Scottsdale Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Scottsdale Community College are $7,854 per year. On average, design graduates from Scottsdale Community College take out $14,221 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Scottsdale Community College
Finger Lakes Community College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree design and applied arts programs. Located in the rural area of Canandaigua, Finger Lakes Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Finger Lakes Community College are $6,710 per year.
Spokane Falls Community College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. Spokane Falls Community College is a small public school located in the city of Spokane.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Spokane Falls Community College are $5,135 per year. After completing their Associate Degree, design graduates from Spokane Falls Community College carry an average student debtload of $15,308.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Spokane Falls Community College Report
Western Technical College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree design and applied arts programs. Located in the city of La Crosse, Western Technical College is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Western Technical College are $6,687 per year. On average, design graduates from Western Technical College take out $18,046 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
In addition to its great value ranking, Western Technical College is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools list.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Western Technical College Report
Milwaukee Area Technical College landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree design and applied arts programs. MATC is a large public school located in the large city of Milwaukee.
MATC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,908 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at MATC accumulate an average of around $19,061 in student debt.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Milwaukee Area Technical College Report
With a ranking of #15, Macomb Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the midsize city of Warren, Macomb Community College is a public school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Macomb Community College are $7,680 a year. On average, design graduates from Macomb Community College take out $10,363 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Macomb Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools list.
With a ranking of #16, Gateway Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. Gateway Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of Kenosha.
Gateway Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,803 in tuition and fees each year. Design majors at Gateway Technical College take out an average of $17,916 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
In addition to its great value ranking, Gateway Technical College is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools list.
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | El Centro College | Dallas, TX |
| 18 | Minneapolis Community and Technical College | Minneapolis, MN |
| 19 | Gwinnett Technical College | Lawrenceville, GA |
| 20 | Sinclair Community College | Dayton, OH |
| 21 | University of South Dakota | Vermillion, SD |
| 21 | Guilford Technical Community College | Jamestown, NC |
Design & Applied Arts by Region
View the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings
Design & Applied Arts Related Majors for Design
One of 10 majors within the area of study, design and applied arts has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Design
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 37,413 |
| Music | 25,910 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 17,341 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 16,778 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 6,355 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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