2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You
With 1,011 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, design and applied arts is the #28 most popular major in Michigan.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
The Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 15 schools in Michigan 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. 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 Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Macomb Community College the best value school in Michigan for design and applied arts students. Macomb Community College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Warren.
Macomb Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,090 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, design graduates from Macomb Community College take out $9,255 in student loans while working on their degree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Macomb Community College also is in the top 15% of our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan ranking.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kalamazoo Valley Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan list. 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 $6,432 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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Out of the 15 schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Michigan State is a fairly large public school located in the small city of East Lansing.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Michigan State are $15,966 per year. Design majors at Michigan State take out an average of $29,812 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $433, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Michigan State is ranked #4 for overall quality for design in Michigan.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a great value for design and applied arts students. Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at U-M are $17,193 a year.
U-M also made our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan list, coming in at #2.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Report
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The excellent programs at Saginaw Valley State University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in Michigan. Located in the midsize suburb of University Center, Saginaw Valley State University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Saginaw Valley State University undergraduate students pay an average of $11,130 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Design majors at Saginaw Valley State University take out an average of $27,750 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Saginaw Valley State University
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Central Michigan University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan ranking. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Mount Pleasant.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Central Michigan are $13,094 per year. While working on their degree, design majors at Central Michigan accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $296, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Central Michigan University Report
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With a ranking of #6, Ferris State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students. Ferris is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Big Rapids.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Ferris are $13,188 a year. After completing their degree, design graduates from Ferris carry an average student debtload of $27,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $235.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Ferris State University
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With a ranking of #8, Western Michigan University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students. WMU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Kalamazoo.
WMU undergraduate students pay an average of $13,434 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Design majors at WMU take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Western Michigan University Report
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Oakland University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan ranking. Located in the large suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland is a public college with a large student population.
Oakland undergraduate students pay an average of $15,135 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Oakland take out is $28,063. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $241, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Oakland University Report
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Eastern Michigan University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for design and applied arts students. It came in at #10 on the list. Eastern Michigan is a large public school located in the large suburb of Ypsilanti.
Eastern Michigan undergraduate students pay an average of $15,500 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Eastern Michigan University Report
Request InformationBest Value Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Ohio | 1,456 |
| Illinois | 979 |
| Indiana | 417 |
| Wisconsin | 717 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in Michigan
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 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.
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