2020 Most Affordable Online Colleges for Art Degrees

By the OnlineU team | Updated 8/23/2021

If you're interested in pursuing a creative career, an online degree in art or design can provide a strong foundation. Once enrolled in an online program, you'll discover the basics of design. From there, you'll develop specialized skills in the design area of your choice, whether it be for printed items, websites, or video games. You could become a graphic artist with a median annual salary of $53,380, or an animator with a median annual salary of $77,700.

Below is our list of the 11 most affordable online degree programs in art and design, with schools offering programs in digital photography, graphic design, and more. We also provide information about online art degrees, common courses found in these programs, the cost of earning an online degree, and career paths for art and design graduates.

You can read more about our ranked schools below or browse our rankings of the most affordable online master's in art & design. View our methodology or learn more about OnlineU.

Online Art and Design Courses

Art and design programs typically start with foundations in art and art history, progress through courses related to your area of specialization, and culminate in a capstone course designed to help you polish your professional portfolio of work. Some of the most popular online classes in art and design include:

• Digital Imaging: This graphic arts course will provide you with an essential understanding of how digitized art must be prepared for use in electronic media and in print. You will most likely learn to use the Adobe Creative Suite or similar software programs.
• Digital Photography: Although there are entire degree programs devoted to digital photography, design students are often required to take a summary course on the subject. Coursework will enable you to learn how to use a digital camera, how to create various light effects, and how to use photo editing software to enhance your images.
• Introduction to Web Design: Typically a hands-on, application-oriented course, you'll learn the basics of HTML, CSS, and possibly other languages and programs to build websites. Your technical skills will be enhanced with an understanding of appealing visual design and usability.
• Principles of Design: This fundamental course is included in nearly every art and design program. You'll learn to utilize the formal elements and principles of design, especially color, and you may be introduced to the basics of typography. Problem solving and decision making are important skills that art students develop through this course.
• 3D Graphics Basics: While gaining experience in using industry-standard software, you'll learn the fundamentals of creating 3D motion graphics. Hands-on projects will introduce you to the process of storyboarding and rendering graphic objects and animations.

Cost of Online Art and Design Programs

The 11 schools on our list offer the most affordable online art and design degrees available, with annual tuition averaging $16,694, typically for 30 credit hours per year. In many cases, tuition rates for online students are comparable to those for in-state students. You may also save money on housing, transportation, and other fees by living at home or off campus while earning your online degree, which can help with affordability.

Funding an Online Art & Design Degree

Students who enroll in accredited, online degree programs in art, graphic art, and design may be eligible for financial aid. To begin the application process, students should complete and submit the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). Once this form has been reviewed by representatives of both the federal government and the schools, the applicants will receive a letter that details the type and amount of financial aid being offered. If applying to multiple schools, the offers from each school may be the deciding factor as to which program the student will choose. If students have any questions about their financial aid offers, they should contact the financial aid representatives at the college(s) they have applied to.

The best offers include scholarships or grants, which may come from the federal government, the state government, or from the college itself. Unlike student loans, grant and scholarship money does not have to be repaid. Applicants who are offered a student loan should review the loan terms carefully. Federal student loans are generally preferred over private student loans, which typically feature higher interest rates and more stringent repayment plans.

Online art and design majors may want to consider applying for the following private scholarships and/or participating in these art competitions:

• Adobe Design Circle Scholarship: Awards up to $25,000 per academic year depending on need and merit, and open to all undergraduate art and design students.
• John F. and Anna Lee Stacey Scholarship Fund: Awards up to $5,000 for art majors.
• Doodle for Google Competition: A $30,000 college scholarship to the artist who creates the winning Google doodle.
• Scholastic Art and Writing Portfolio Awards: Awards of $10,000 and $1,000 to the artists with the prize-winning portfolios.

Art and Design Careers

Online bachelor's programs in art and design prepare art students for occupations that combine creativity with technological skills, many of which are highlighted in the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. For example, graduates may become animators, with a median annual salary of $77,700, or digital designers, who earn a median annual salary of $77,200.

Graphic design has also been a popular choice for many years, although the BLS reports that demand for graphic designers is expected to decline by 4% over the next decade. On the other hand, the job market in web design, UX/UI design, 3D design, video gaming, and animation remains strong, with demand for several of these occupations projected to grow 4%-8%.

After gaining several years of experience, some designers move into management positions as art directors, where they guide the vision and direction of an organization's brand presentation. At this level, art directors earn a median annual salary of $97,270.