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2026 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan

[Other Design & Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/design-and-applied-arts-other/) 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.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for other design & applied arts students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan

2026 Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools in Michigan

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the other design & applied arts degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Other Design & Applied Arts Schools

1

Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI

$14,778 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$54,735 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Ferris State University, our #1 best value for other design & applied arts in Michigan. Located in the town of Big Rapids, Ferris State University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $14,778. Typical student debt for other design & applied arts graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, other design & applied arts degree recipients from Ferris State University generally make around $34,045. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.

2

College For Creative Studies
Detroit, MI

$53,350 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,000 Avg Student Debt

$44,860 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes College For Creative Studies one of the best values for other design & applied arts. Set in the city of Detroit, College For Creative Studies is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $53,350. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the other design & applied arts program here. Early-career other design & applied arts graduates make about $32,665. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.

View All Other Design & Applied Arts Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced 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 · 5 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.