2026 Best Value Commercial & Advertising Art Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Commercial & Advertising Art](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/commercial-and-advertising-art/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 32 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value commercial & advertising art schools.
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2026 Best Value Commercial & Advertising Art Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in commercial & advertising art, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Commercial & Advertising Art Schools
Sinclair Community College earned the #1 spot for value among commercial & advertising art schools in the Great Lakes Region. Sinclair Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Dayton. In-state tuition and fees average $3,675, with out-of-state students paying around $8,556. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $11,000 in student loans. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Sinclair Community College earn a median of $24,490 early in their careers. Set against $11,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in commercial & advertising art will find it at Lakeland Community College, which ranked #2. Lakeland Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Kirtland. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,872, while out-of-state students pay about $9,235. Students borrow a median of $19,857 to complete the commercial & advertising art program here. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Lakeland Community College earn a median of $51,941 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in commercial & advertising art will find it at St Clair County Community College, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of Port Huron, St Clair County Community College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,212, while out-of-state students pay about $12,150. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $16,379. Soon after graduation, commercial & advertising art degree recipients from St Clair County Community College generally make around $45,735. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in commercial & advertising art will find it at University Of Cincinnati Blue Ash College, which ranked #4. University Of Cincinnati Blue Ash College is a large public school located in the suburb of Blue Ash. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,106, while out-of-state students pay about $15,904. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $19,408 in student loans. Early-career commercial & advertising art graduates make about $42,936. That is a strong return on a $19,408 median debt.
Madison Area Technical College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value commercial & advertising art schools. Located in the city of Madison, Madison Area Technical College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,977, with out-of-state students paying around $7,141. Students borrow a median of $15,750 to complete the commercial & advertising art program here. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Madison Area Technical College earn a median of $44,279 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Vincennes University earned the #6 position for value in commercial & advertising art this year. Set in the town of Vincennes, Vincennes University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,126, compared with $16,858 for out-of-state students. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $14,506 in student loans. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Vincennes University earn a median of $45,976 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $14,506 median debt.
Owens Community College came in at #7 for value in commercial & advertising art this year. Located in the suburb of Perrysburg, Owens Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,870, compared with $10,502 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $19,383. Soon after graduation, commercial & advertising art degree recipients from Owens Community College generally make around $45,785. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Ball State University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value commercial & advertising art schools. Located in the city of Muncie, Ball State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,082 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $29,630. Students borrow a median of $22,000 to complete the commercial & advertising art program here. Early-career commercial & advertising art graduates make about $36,864. That is a strong return on a $22,000 median debt. Ball State University admits about 86% of applicants.
Kent State University At Kent landed the #9 spot for commercial & advertising art value this year. Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,220, while out-of-state students pay about $21,575. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career commercial & advertising art graduates make about $36,351. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus placed #10 among the best values for commercial & advertising art. Set in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,363, while out-of-state students pay about $28,697. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $25,851. Soon after graduation, commercial & advertising art degree recipients from University Of Cincinnati Main Campus generally make around $58,659. Set against $25,851 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
Columbia College Chicago placed #11 among the best values for commercial & advertising art. Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $34,088. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $27,000. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn a median of $29,160 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Columbia College Chicago admits about 90% of applicants.
Miami University Oxford earned the #12 position for value in commercial & advertising art this year. Located in the town of Oxford, Miami University Oxford is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $17,519, compared with $38,965 for out-of-state students. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Miami University Oxford earn a median of $47,295 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 75%.
Columbus College Of Art And Design ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best value commercial & advertising art schools. Columbus College Of Art And Design is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Columbus. Students from in state pay about $40,825 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $27,000. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Columbus College Of Art And Design earn a median of $27,970 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
College For Creative Studies ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best value commercial & advertising art schools. College For Creative Studies is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Detroit. In-state tuition and fees average $53,350. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $26,000. Soon after graduation, commercial & advertising art degree recipients from College For Creative Studies generally make around $32,665. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
School Of Advertising Art Inc placed #15 among the best values for commercial & advertising art. Located in the city of Kettering, School Of Advertising Art Inc is a small private for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $30,914 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $5,500. Graduates go on to earn a median of $42,187 ten years after entry. Set against $5,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. School Of Advertising Art Inc admits about 92% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 32 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 ranked 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 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.