2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Iowa
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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.
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.
Best Iowa Schools for Affordable Quality in Design & Applied Arts
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.
DMACC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,220 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, design graduates from DMACC carry an average student debtload of $14,167.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Des Moines Area Community College
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Iowa list. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Iowa State are $9,634 per 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.
Iowa State did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Iowa list.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Northern Iowa is a great value for design and applied arts students. UNI is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Cedar Falls.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNI are $9,053 per year. While working on their degree, design majors at UNI accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.
UNI also made our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Iowa list, coming in at #5.
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Out of the 6 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Drake University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Drake is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Des Moines.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Drake are $45,912 a 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Drake University
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Luther College is a great value for design and applied arts students. Located in the remote town of Decorah, Luther is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Luther are $46,760 per year.
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Grand View University 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 Des Moines, Grand View University is a private not-for-profit college 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
Request InformationBest 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 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in Iowa
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.
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 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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