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2026 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in West Virginia

[Design & Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/) 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 7 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value design & applied arts schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in West Virginia

2026 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in West Virginia

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

Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools

1

West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV

$10,104 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,500 Avg Student Debt

$55,939 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in design & applied arts, no school beat West Virginia University this year. West Virginia University is a very large public school located in the city of Morgantown. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,104, with out-of-state students paying around $28,608. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $25,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, design & applied arts degree recipients from West Virginia University generally make around $39,847. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.

2

West Liberty University
West Liberty, WV

$8,893 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,144 Avg Student Debt

$43,296 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes West Liberty University one of the best values for design & applied arts. West Liberty University is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of West Liberty. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,893, compared with $17,442 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,144 to complete the design & applied arts program here. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $48,761. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.

View All 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 · 7 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.