2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree School for You
Out of all the majors we analyze each year, design and applied arts was ranked #36 in the country. In fact 36,301 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 14 schools in the Great Lakes Region 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.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Featured Design Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts
Translate your creative ideas through concept, design and digital media with a bachelor's in graphic design online from Southern New Hampshire University.
Top 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools
Our analysis found Madison Area Technical College to be the best value school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a associate degree in the Great Lakes Region . Madison College is a large public school located in the city of Madison.
Madison College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,769 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Madison College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $19,387.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Madison College is ranked #4 for overall quality for design in the Great Lakes Region .
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Madison Area Technical College
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Waukesha County Technical College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. WCTC is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Pewaukee.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WCTC are $6,603 per year. Design majors at WCTC take out an average of $18,801 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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 in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
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Out of the 14 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Technical College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Western Technical College is a small public school located in the small city of La Crosse.
Western Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,687 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at Western Technical College accumulate an average of around $18,046 in student debt.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Western Technical College also did well on our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Out of the 14 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Milwaukee Area Technical College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, MATC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MATC are $6,908 a year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at MATC take out while working on their Associate Degree is $19,061.
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The excellent associate degree programs at Macomb Community College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value design and applied arts schools in the Great Lakes Region . Macomb Community College is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Warren.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Macomb Community College are $7,680 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at Macomb Community College accumulate an average of around $10,363 in student debt.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Macomb Community College also did well on our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Gateway Technical College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree design and applied arts programs. Located in the suburb of Kenosha, Gateway Technical College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Gateway Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,803 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, design graduates from Gateway Technical College carry an average student debtload of $17,916.
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Sinclair Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the midsize city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College is a public college with a large student population.
Sinclair Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,076 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, design graduates from Sinclair Community College carry an average student debtload of $14,806.
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Ivy Tech Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Ivy Tech Community College are $8,927 a year. While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at Ivy Tech Community College accumulate an average of around $17,560 in student debt.
In addition to its great value ranking, Ivy Tech Community College is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Ivy Tech Community College Report
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With a ranking of #9, Kalamazoo Valley Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. Kalamazoo Valley Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of Kalamazoo.
Kalamazoo Valley Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,502 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at Kalamazoo Valley Community College accumulate an average of around $19,684 in student debt.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Kalamazoo Valley Community College Report
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With a ranking of #10, Cuyahoga Community College District did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. Cuyahoga Community College District is a large public school located in the city of Cleveland.
Cuyahoga Community College District undergraduate students pay an average of $8,586 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at Cuyahoga Community College District accumulate an average of around $19,344 in student debt.
Cuyahoga Community College District excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Request InformationBest Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State
Explore the best design and applied arts colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 1,011 |
| Ohio | 1,456 |
| Illinois | 979 |
| Indiana | 417 |
| Wisconsin | 717 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
Other Related Design Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts
Translate your creative ideas through concept, design and digital media with a bachelor's in graphic design online from Southern New Hampshire University.
Take the first step toward a career of visual expression and doing what you love with this online associate degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Majors Related to Design
Design & Applied Arts is one of 10 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar 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 14 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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