2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Pennsylvania
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You
In 2020-2021, 1,238 degrees and certificates were awarded to design and applied arts students who went to a Pennsylvania college or university. This makes it the #39 most popular major in the state.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Pennsylvania to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 29 schools in Pennsylvania 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.
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 analysis found Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania to be the best value school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a degree in Pennsylvania. Located in the city of Bloomsburg, Bloomsburg is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Bloomsburg are $10,982 per year.
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Out of the 29 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Millersville University of Pennsylvania landed the # 2 spot on the list. Millersville is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Millersville.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Millersville are $12,256 per year.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Millersville University of Pennsylvania Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Pennsylvania list. SRU is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Slippery Rock.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SRU are $10,507 per year.
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Out of the 29 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Lehigh Carbon Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Schnecksville, LCCC is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at LCCC are $8,430 per year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Lehigh Carbon Community College
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A rank of #5 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.
HACC undergraduate students pay an average of $8,295 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Design majors at HACC take out an average of $15,146 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Kutztown University of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for design and applied arts students. It came in at #6 on the list. Kutztown University is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Kutztown.
Kutztown University undergraduate students pay an average of $11,062 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, design graduates from Kutztown University carry an average student debtload of $27,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $294.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
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Northampton County Area Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Pennsylvania list. Northampton Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Bethlehem.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Northampton Community College are $10,350 a year. On average, design graduates from Northampton Community College take out $12,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Northampton County Area Community College Report
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Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Pennsylvania list. IUP is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Indiana.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at IUP are $13,144 per year. While working on their degree, design majors at IUP accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
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California University of Pennsylvania ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Pennsylvania list. Cal U is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of California.
Cal U undergraduate students pay an average of $11,108 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, design graduates from Cal U carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
Full Design & Applied Arts at California University of Pennsylvania Report
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Temple University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value design and applied arts programs. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Temple is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Temple are $17,378 a year. Design majors at Temple take out an average of $26,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Request InformationBest Value Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
Explore all the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| New York | 4,391 |
| Maryland | 617 |
| New Jersey | 532 |
| District of Columbia | 84 |
| Delaware | 59 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in Pennsylvania
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.
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