2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts 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.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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.
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 Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This report analyzed 92 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region 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.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. 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 15% Best Design & Applied Arts Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Finger Lakes Community College the best value school in the Middle Atlantic Region for design and applied arts students. Located in the rural area of Canandaigua, Finger Lakes Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Finger Lakes Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,710 in tuition and fees each year.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Finger Lakes Community College Report
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means LaGuardia Community College is a great value for design and applied arts students. LaGuardia is a large public school located in the large city of Long Island City.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at LaGuardia are $8,098 per year.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Harrisburg Area Community College is a great value for design and applied arts students. HACC is a large public school located in the city of Harrisburg.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at HACC are $9,818 a year. While working on their degree, design majors at HACC accumulate an average of around $15,146 in student debt.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is a great value for design and applied arts students. Located in the small city of Bloomsburg, Bloomsburg is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Bloomsburg are $22,806 a year.
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The excellent programs at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in the Middle Atlantic Region . SRU is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Slippery Rock.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SRU are $14,615 a year.
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With a ranking of #6, Lehigh Carbon Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students. Located in the suburb of Schnecksville, LCCC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at LCCC are $12,060 per year.
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Kingsborough Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for design and applied arts students. It came in at #7 on the list. KCC is a large public school located in the city of Brooklyn.
KCC undergraduate students pay an average of $8,132 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, design graduates from KCC carry an average student debtload of $6,980.
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Brookdale Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Brookdale Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the rural area of Lincroft.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Brookdale Community College are $9,554 per year.
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Kutztown University of Pennsylvania landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value design and applied arts programs. Kutztown University is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Kutztown.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Kutztown University are $15,170 per year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Kutztown University take out is $27,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $294.
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Mohawk Valley Community College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value design and applied arts programs. Located in the small city of Utica, MVCC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
MVCC undergraduate students pay an average of $7,798 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, design majors at MVCC accumulate an average of around $11,448 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #11, Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students. Millersville is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Millersville.
Millersville undergraduate students pay an average of $22,226 in tuition and fees each year.
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County College of Morris came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. County College of Morris is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Randolph.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at County College of Morris are $13,620 a year.
Full Design & Applied Arts at County College of Morris Report
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Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in the fringe town of Shippensburg, Ship is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Ship undergraduate students pay an average of $14,122 in tuition and fees each year.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Report
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Here are some additional great value schools for Design & Applied Arts students in the Middle Atlantic Region seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Monroe Community College | Rochester, NY |
| 15 | Lehman College | Bronx, NY |
| 16 | Onondaga Community College | Syracuse, NY |
| 17 | Nassau Community College | Garden City, NY |
| 18 | Northampton County Area Community College | Bethlehem, PA |
| 18 | SUNY Oneonta | Oneonta, NY |
Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State
Explore the best design and applied arts schools for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 1,238 |
| New York | 4,391 |
| Maryland | 617 |
| New Jersey | 532 |
| District of Columbia | 84 |
| Delaware | 59 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in the Middle Atlantic 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.
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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