2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts 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.
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 Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 81 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which 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.
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 15% Best Design & Applied Arts Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Madison Area Technical College the best value school in the Great Lakes Region for design and applied arts students. Madison College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Madison.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Madison College are $6,769 a year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Madison College take out is $14,374.
Madison College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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Out of the 81 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Waukesha County Technical College landed the # 2 spot on the 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 $15,554 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Western Technical College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Western Technical College is a small public school located in the small city of La Crosse.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Western Technical College are $6,687 a year. While working on their degree, design majors at Western Technical College accumulate an average of around $13,500 in student debt.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Western Technical College
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The excellent programs at Milwaukee Area Technical College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the city of Milwaukee, MATC is a public school with a large student population.
MATC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,908 in tuition and fees each year.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Milwaukee Area Technical College Report
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The excellent programs at Macomb Community College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in the Great Lakes Region . Macomb Community College is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Warren.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Macomb Community College are $7,680 a year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Macomb Community College take out is $9,255.
Macomb Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Gateway Technical College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the midsize suburb of Kenosha, Gateway Technical College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Gateway Technical College are $6,803 a year. After completing their degree, design graduates from Gateway Technical College carry an average student debtload of $14,333.
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Sinclair Community College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value design and applied arts programs. Located in the midsize city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Sinclair Community College are $8,076 per year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Sinclair Community College take out is $14,075.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Sinclair Community College
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With a ranking of #8, Ivy Tech Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students. Located in the large city of Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College is a public school with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ivy Tech Community College are $8,927 per year. After completing their degree, design graduates from Ivy Tech Community College carry an average student debtload of $13,912.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Ivy Tech Community College also did well on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Franklin University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Franklin University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Columbus.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Franklin University are $9,577 per year. While working on their degree, design majors at Franklin University accumulate an average of around $43,242 in student debt.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Franklin University Report
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University of Wisconsin - Stout came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Stout is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Menomonie.
UW - Stout undergraduate students pay an average of $17,820 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, design majors at UW - Stout accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $131, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UW - Stout also did well on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Wisconsin - Stout
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Ferris State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ferris is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Big Rapids.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Ferris are $13,188 a year. While working on their degree, design majors at Ferris accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $235.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Ferris State University
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Central Michigan University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Central Michigan is a large public school located in the distant town of Mount Pleasant.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Central Michigan are $13,094 a year. Design majors at Central Michigan take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $296, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Central Michigan University
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great value schools for Design & Applied Arts students in the Great Lakes Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | University of Akron Main Campus | Akron, OH |
| 14 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Stevens Point, WI |
| 15 | Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 16 | Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago, IL |
Best 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 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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