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Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Iowa

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2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Iowa

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

6 Colleges
$28,463 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$31,807 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You

With 481 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, design and applied arts is the #21 most popular major in Iowa.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

The Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Iowa ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 6 schools in Iowa 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.

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. 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.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Iowa

Check out the design programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Best Iowa Schools for Affordable Quality in Design & Applied Arts

$5,220 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Des Moines Area Community College to be the best value school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a degree in Iowa. DMACC is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Ankeny.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at DMACC are $5,220 a year. After completing their degree, design graduates from DMACC carry an average student debtload of $14,167.

Read More…

$9,634 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 6 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public college with a very large student population.

Iowa State undergraduate students pay an average of $9,634 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, design graduates from Iowa State take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $262.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Iowa State is ranked #4 for overall quality for design in Iowa.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Iowa State University

#3

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA
$9,053 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at University of Northern Iowa helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best design and applied arts schools in Iowa. UNI is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Cedar Falls.

UNI undergraduate students pay an average of $9,053 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, design majors at UNI accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.

UNI did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Iowa list.

Full Design & Applied Arts at University of Northern Iowa Report

#4

Drake University

Des Moines, IA
$45,912 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Drake University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Iowa list. Drake is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Des Moines.

Drake undergraduate students pay an average of $45,912 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Drake not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Iowa list.

Read More…

#4

Luther College

Decorah, IA
$46,760 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Luther College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Iowa list. Located in the remote town of Decorah, Luther is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Luther are $46,760 per year.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Luther College

#6

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA
$30,954 Average Tuition & Fees

Grand View University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Iowa ranking. Located in the midsize city of Des Moines, Grand View University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Grand View University are $30,954 per year. After completing their degree, design graduates from Grand View University carry an average student debtload of $26,000.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Grand View University Report

Best Value Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Missouri 432
Minnesota 533
Kansas 229
Nebraska 223
North Dakota 36
South Dakota 57

Design & Applied Arts is one of 10 different types of programs to choose from.

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 6 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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