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 analysis found Holyoke Community College to be the best value school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a degree in Massachusetts. Located in the large suburb of Holyoke, Holyoke Community College is a public college with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Holyoke Community College are $5,378 per year.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Holyoke Community College Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Springfield Technical Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the city of Springfield, STCC is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at STCC are $5,520 a year.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Springfield Technical Community College Report
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Salem State University is a great value for design and applied arts students. Located in the suburb of Salem, Salem State is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Salem State undergraduate students pay an average of $11,675 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Massachusetts College of Art and Design. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the large city of Boston, Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a public school with a small student population.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design undergraduate students pay an average of $14,200 in in-state tuition and fees each 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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Out of the 15 schools in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, Framingham State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Framingham State is a small public school located in the city of Framingham.
Framingham State undergraduate students pay an average of $11,380 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Framingham State University
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University of Massachusetts - Lowell ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. UMass Lowell is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Lowell.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMass Lowell are $15,698 per year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Massachusetts - Lowell
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University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value design and applied arts programs. UMass Dartmouth is a moderately-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.
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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 large 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.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Endicott College
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Wentworth Institute of Technology ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in the large city of Boston, WIT is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WIT are $37,650 per year. While working on their degree, design majors at WIT accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Wentworth Institute of Technology Report
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Northeastern University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value design and applied arts programs. Located in the city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northeastern are $57,592 per year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Northeastern take out is $26,750.
Northeastern excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Massachusetts list.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Northeastern University Report
Request InformationBest Value Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the New England Region
Explore all the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools 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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