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Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Minnesota

2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Minnesota

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

10 Colleges
$15,648 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$32,947 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts School for You

In 2020-2021, 533 degrees and certificates were awarded to design and applied arts students who went to a Minnesota college or university. This makes it the #38 most popular major in the state.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

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 Minnesota ranking. Our analysis looked at 10 schools in Minnesota 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. 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.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

Top 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools

$5,910 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Alexandria Technical & Community College the best value school in Minnesota for design and applied arts students. ATCC is a small public school located in the town of Alexandria.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at ATCC are $5,910 a year. On average, design graduates from ATCC take out $12,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Alexandria Technical & Community College Report

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#2

Century College

White Bear Lake, MN
$5,907 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Century College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Minnesota list. Century College is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of White Bear Lake.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Century College are $5,907 per year.

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$9,806 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bemidji State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Minnesota list. Bemidji State University is a small public school located in the town of Bemidji.

Bemidji State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,806 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Bemidji State University take out is $27,000.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Bemidji State University Report

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$5,906 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Minneapolis Community and Technical College is a great value for design and applied arts students. Minneapolis Community and Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Minneapolis.

Minneapolis Community and Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,906 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that design majors at Minneapolis Community and Technical College take out is $32,750.

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#5

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN
$9,170 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 10 schools in Minnesota that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Cloud State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. St. Cloud State University is a large public school located in the city of Saint Cloud.

St. Cloud State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,170 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Saint Cloud State University

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$9,468 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students. MSU Moorhead is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Moorhead.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MSU Moorhead are $9,468 per year. On average, design graduates from MSU Moorhead take out $24,995 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Minnesota State University - Moorhead Report

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$15,254 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Minnesota ranking. Located in the city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public college with a fairly large student population.

UMN Twin Cities undergraduate students pay an average of $15,254 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, design graduates from UMN Twin Cities carry an average student debtload of $22,975. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $298.

In addition to its great value ranking, UMN Twin Cities is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Minnesota list.

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$13,850 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in Minnesota list. UMN Duluth is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Duluth.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMN Duluth are $13,850 per year. After completing their degree, design graduates from UMN Duluth carry an average student debtload of $24,199.

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$41,794 Average Tuition & Fees

Minneapolis 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 large city of Minneapolis, MCAD is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

MCAD undergraduate students pay an average of $41,794 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, design majors at MCAD accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $323.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Minneapolis College of Art and Design Report

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$39,410 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #10, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students. Located in the town of Winona, SMU MN is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SMU MN are $39,410 a year.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Report

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

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

State Degrees Awarded
Missouri 432
Kansas 229
Iowa 481
Nebraska 223
North Dakota 36
South Dakota 57

One of 10 majors within the area of study, design and applied arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

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 10 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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