2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest 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.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one 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 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 Southwest Region ranking. This report analyzed 48 schools in the Southwest 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.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees 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 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Collin County Community College District the best value school in the Southwest Region for design and applied arts students. Collin County Community College District is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of McKinney.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Collin County Community College District are $5,104 per year.
Collin County Community College District excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region list.
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Scottsdale Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the rural area of Scottsdale, Scottsdale Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Scottsdale Community College are $7,854 a year. Design majors at Scottsdale Community College take out an average of $12,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Scottsdale Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region list.
Request Information
Out of the 48 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, El Centro College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Dallas, El Centro College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at El Centro College are $6,000 per year. On average, design graduates from El Centro College take out $13,365 in student loans while working on their degree.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, El Centro College also did well on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at El Centro College
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Texas A&M University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region list. West Texas A&M University is a medium-sized public school located in the fringe town of Canyon.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at West Texas A&M University are $11,208 per year.
Request Information
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Sessions College for Professional Design is a great value for design and applied arts students. Located in the city of Tempe, Sessions College is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Sessions College are $12,440 a year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Sessions College take out is $19,864.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Sessions College for Professional Design
Request Information
Austin Community College District 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. Located in the city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Austin Community College District are $10,590 a year. After completing their degree, design graduates from Austin Community College District carry an average student debtload of $17,146.
In addition to its great value ranking, Austin Community College District is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region list.
Request Information
With a ranking of #7, Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students. OSU Institute of Technology is a small public school located in the town of Okmulgee.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at OSU Institute of Technology are $11,384 a year. After completing their degree, design graduates from OSU Institute of Technology carry an average student debtload of $16,372.
Request Information
With a ranking of #8, Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students. ASU - Skysong is a fairly large public school located in the city of Scottsdale.
ASU - Skysong undergraduate students pay an average of $13,092 in tuition and fees each year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, ASU - Skysong also is in the top 10% of our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region ranking.
Request Information
With a ranking of #9, Grand Canyon University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students. Located in the city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit college with a very large student population.
Grand Canyon University undergraduate students pay an average of $17,189 in tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Grand Canyon University
Request Information
Texas State Technical College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the city of Waco, TSTC is a public school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at TSTC are $11,369 a year. While working on their degree, design majors at TSTC accumulate an average of around $12,500 in student debt.
Request InformationBest Design & Applied Arts Colleges by State
Explore the best design and applied arts schools for a specific state in the Southwest region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Texas | 1,449 |
| Arizona | 594 |
| Oklahoma | 211 |
| New Mexico | 30 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in the Southwest 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.
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.