2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's 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 Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This report analyzed 28 schools in the Plains States Region to see which ones offered the best value bachelor's 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.
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 Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Bellevue University the best value school in the Plains States Region for design and applied arts students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large suburb of Bellevue, Bellevue University is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Bellevue University are $8,310 per year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Bellevue University take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $30,063.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Bellevue University is ranked #3 for overall quality for design in the Plains States Region .
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Out of the 28 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Bemidji State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Bemidji State University is a small public school located in the remote town of Bemidji.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Bemidji State University are $9,806 a year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Bemidji State University is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the medium-sized city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public school with a fairly large student population.
North Dakota State University undergraduate students pay an average of $14,876 in tuition and fees each year.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means South Dakota State University is a great value for design and applied arts students working on their bachelor’s degree. South Dakota State is a large public school located in the remote town of Brookings.
South Dakota State undergraduate students pay an average of $12,809 in tuition and fees each year. On average, design graduates from South Dakota State take out $30,985 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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Out of the 28 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Cloud State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. St. Cloud State University is a large public school located in the city of Saint Cloud.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at St. Cloud State University are $18,010 per year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, design graduates from St. Cloud State University carry an average student debtload of $26,716.
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With a ranking of #6, Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students working on their bachelor’s degree. MSU Moorhead is a medium-sized public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Moorhead.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MSU Moorhead are $17,564 per year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, design graduates from MSU Moorhead carry an average student debtload of $21,980.
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University of Northern Iowa came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in the city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNI are $19,753 per year.
UNI excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list.
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With a ranking of #8, Lindenwood University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students working on their bachelor’s degree. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Charles.
Lindenwood University undergraduate students pay an average of $18,640 in tuition and fees each year.
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With a ranking of #9, Iowa State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students working on their bachelor’s degree. Iowa State is a very large public school located in the small city of Ames.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Iowa State are $25,446 per year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Iowa State take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $24,944. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $262.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Iowa State also is in the top 10% of our Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.
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University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. UMN Duluth is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Duluth.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UMN Duluth are $19,148 a year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Minnesota - Duluth
Request InformationBest Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State
Explore the best design and applied arts colleges for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Missouri | 432 |
| Minnesota | 533 |
| Kansas | 229 |
| Iowa | 481 |
| Nebraska | 223 |
| North Dakota | 36 |
| South Dakota | 57 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in the Plains States 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.
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.