2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Indiana
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You
With 417 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, design and applied arts is the #57 most popular major in Indiana.
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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Indiana to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 15 schools in Indiana to see which ones offered the best value 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 Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Ivy Tech Community College the best value school in Indiana for design and applied arts students. Ivy Tech Community College is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Indianapolis.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Ivy Tech Community College are $4,637 a year. Design majors at Ivy Tech Community College take out an average of $13,912 in student loans while working on their egree.
In addition to its great value ranking, Ivy Tech Community College is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Indiana list.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Ivy Tech Community College
Request Information
Out of the 15 schools in Indiana that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the # 2 spot on the list. Purdue is a very large public school located in the city of West Lafayette.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Purdue are $9,992 per year. On average, design graduates from Purdue take out $23,266 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $329, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Purdue not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Indiana list.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Purdue University - Main Campus
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ball State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Indiana list. Ball State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Muncie.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Ball State are $10,290 a year. While working on their degree, design majors at Ball State accumulate an average of around $22,389 in student debt.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Ball State also did well on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Indiana list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Ball State University Report
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Indiana list. IUPUI is a very large public school located in the large city of Indianapolis.
IUPUI undergraduate students pay an average of $10,044 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Request Information
The excellent programs at Indiana University - Bloomington helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in Indiana. Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public school with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at IU Bloomington are $11,333 per year. While working on their degree, design majors at IU Bloomington accumulate an average of around $21,610 in student debt.
IU Bloomington also made our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Indiana list, coming in at #4.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Indiana University - Bloomington
Request Information
Purdue University Fort Wayne ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Indiana list. PFW is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Fort Wayne.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at PFW are $8,857 a year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at PFW take out is $28,500.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Purdue University Fort Wayne
Request Information
International Business College - Indianapolis ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Indiana list. International Business College - Indianapolis is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Indianapolis.
International Business College - Indianapolis undergraduate students pay an average of $13,960 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, design graduates from International Business College - Indianapolis take out $9,726 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $191.
Request Information
With a ranking of #8, Huntington University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students. Huntington is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Huntington.
Huntington undergraduate students pay an average of $28,192 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Request Information
University of Notre Dame did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for design and applied arts students. It came in at #9 on the list. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Notre Dame are $58,843 per year. On average, design graduates from Notre Dame take out $19,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Notre Dame also took the #1 spot in our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Indiana rankings.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Notre Dame Report
Request Information
Grace College and Theological Seminary landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value design and applied arts programs. Located in the distant town of Winona Lake, Grace College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Grace College undergraduate students pay an average of $25,044 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Request InformationBest Value Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 1,011 |
| Ohio | 1,456 |
| Illinois | 979 |
| Wisconsin | 717 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in Indiana
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 15 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.