2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You
Design & Applied Arts is the #42 most popular major in Massachusetts with 887 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
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.
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 Massachusetts ranking. Our analysis looked at 15 schools in Massachusetts 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 2023 rankings named Holyoke Community College the best value school in Massachusetts for design and applied arts students. Located in the large suburb of Holyoke, Holyoke Community College is a public college with a small student population.
Holyoke Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,378 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Holyoke Community College Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Springfield Technical Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the medium-sized city of Springfield, STCC is a public school with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at STCC are $5,520 per year.
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Out of the 15 schools in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, Salem State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Salem, Salem State is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Salem State are $11,675 a year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts College of Art and Design. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the city of Boston, Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a public school with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Massachusetts College of Art and Design are $14,200 per year. Design majors at Massachusetts College of Art and Design take out an average of $22,625 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $322.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Framingham State University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Framingham State is a small public school located in the city of Framingham.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Framingham State are $11,380 a year.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Framingham State University Report
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University of Massachusetts - Lowell 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. UMass Lowell is a large public school located in the suburb of Lowell.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UMass Lowell are $15,698 a year.
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University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. UMass Dartmouth is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of North Dartmouth.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UMass Dartmouth are $14,408 a year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at UMass Dartmouth take out is $27,000.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth Report
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Endicott College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value design and applied arts programs. Endicott is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Beverly.
Endicott undergraduate students pay an average of $36,614 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, design graduates from Endicott carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Endicott College Report
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Wentworth Institute of Technology came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Located in the city of Boston, WIT is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
WIT undergraduate students pay an average of $37,650 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, design majors at WIT accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
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Northeastern University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
Northeastern undergraduate students pay an average of $57,592 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Northeastern take out is $26,750.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Northeastern also is in the top 20% of our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts ranking.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Northeastern University
Request InformationBest Value Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the New England Region
Explore all the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | 241 |
| New Hampshire | 456 |
| Maine | 24 |
| Rhode Island | 159 |
| Vermont | 99 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in Massachusetts
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.
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