2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You
Out of all the majors we analyze each year, design and applied arts was ranked #36 in the country. In fact 36,301 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 17 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region 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.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. 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 LDS Business College the best value school in the Rocky Mountains Region for design and applied arts students. Located in the midsize city of Salt Lake City, LDS Business College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at LDS Business College are $3,656 a year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at LDS Business College
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Brigham Young University - Provo is a great value for design and applied arts students. Located in the midsize city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BYU are $6,120 per year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at BYU take out is $10,250.
BYU also claimed a spot on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Arapahoe Community College is a great value for design and applied arts students. Located in the large suburb of Littleton, Arapahoe Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Arapahoe Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $15,502 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, design majors at Arapahoe Community College accumulate an average of around $23,985 in student debt.
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Out of the 17 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwest College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Northwest Community College is a small public school located in the remote town of Powell.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Northwest Community College are $11,162 a year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Northwest College
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Salt Lake Community College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Salt Lake Community College is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $12,734 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, design graduates from Salt Lake Community College carry an average student debtload of $12,500.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Salt Lake Community College also is in the top 20% of our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking.
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Weber State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. WSU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Ogden.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WSU are $16,644 per year. After completing their degree, design graduates from WSU carry an average student debtload of $23,647.
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Utah Valley University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value design and applied arts programs. UVU is a very large public school located in the city of Orem.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UVU are $17,092 a year. On average, design graduates from UVU take out $21,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
UVU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
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University of Utah did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for design and applied arts students. It came in at #8 on the list. U of U is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Salt Lake City.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at U of U are $28,345 a year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, U of U also did well on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Utah Report
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Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value design and applied arts programs. Located in the midsize city of Lakewood, RMCAD is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at RMCAD are $21,615 per year. While working on their degree, design majors at RMCAD accumulate an average of around $44,406 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $420, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Utah State 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. Located in the city of Logan, USU is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at USU are $23,435 a year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at USU take out is $19,750.
Full Design & Applied Arts at Utah State University Report
Request InformationBest Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State
Explore the best design and applied arts colleges for a specific state in the Rocky Mountains region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Colorado | 316 |
| Utah | 569 |
| Idaho | 125 |
| Montana | 25 |
| Wyoming | 22 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in the Rocky Mountains 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.
Majors Related to Design
Design & Applied Arts is one of 10 different types of programs to choose from.
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 17 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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