2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast 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.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right 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.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 16 schools in the Southeast Region to see which associate degree programs offered the best value experiences for design students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
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. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. 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 Gwinnett Technical College to be the best value school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a associate degree in the Southeast Region . GTC is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Lawrenceville.
GTC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,636 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at GTC accumulate an average of around $18,811 in student debt.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Guilford Technical Community College is a great value for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the suburb of Jamestown, Guilford Technical Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Guilford Technical Community College are $7,665 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at Guilford Technical Community College accumulate an average of around $19,208 in student debt.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Guilford Technical Community College
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The excellent associate degree programs at Central Piedmont Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value design and applied arts schools in the Southeast Region . Central Piedmont Community College is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Charlotte.
Central Piedmont Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,936 in tuition and fees each year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Central Piedmont Community College also is in the top 10% of our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Central Piedmont Community College
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wake Technical Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the large suburb of Raleigh, Wake Technical Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Wake Technical Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,912 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Wake Technical Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $16,864.
Wake Technical 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 in the Southeast Region list.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Wake Technical Community College Report
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Out of the 16 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Seminole State College of Florida landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of Sanford, Seminole State is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Seminole State are $11,456 a year. After completing their Associate Degree, design graduates from Seminole State carry an average student debtload of $21,887.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Seminole State also is in the top 10% of our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Seminole State College of Florida
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Northern Virginia Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the large suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Northern Virginia Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $11,648 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, design graduates from Northern Virginia Community College carry an average student debtload of $24,041.
Northern Virginia Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Northern Virginia Community College Report
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With a ranking of #7, Horry-Georgetown Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. Horry-Georgetown Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Conway.
Horry-Georgetown Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,593 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Horry-Georgetown Technical College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $18,862.
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With a ranking of #8, Miami Dade College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. MDC is a very large public school located in the large city of Miami.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MDC are $9,661 per year. After completing their Associate Degree, design graduates from MDC carry an average student debtload of $16,913.
In addition to its great value ranking, MDC is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list.
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Tidewater Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the midsize city of Norfolk, Tidewater Community College is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Tidewater Community College are $11,564 a year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Tidewater Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $18,426.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Tidewater Community College Report
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Nossi College of Art ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the city of Madison, Nossi College of Art is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Nossi College of Art undergraduate students pay an average of $19,150 in tuition and fees each year.
Request InformationBest Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State
Explore the best design and applied arts schools for a specific state in the Southeast region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 1,446 |
| Virginia | 889 |
| North Carolina | 944 |
| Florida | 1,128 |
| Tennessee | 296 |
| Kentucky | 84 |
| South Carolina | 316 |
| Louisiana | 84 |
| Arkansas | 228 |
| Alabama | 246 |
| Mississippi | 81 |
| West Virginia | 114 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in the Southeast 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.
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 16 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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