by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2025, College Factual analyzed 12 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 735 bachelor's degrees in design & applied arts during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts
Translate your creative ideas through concept, design and digital media with a bachelor's in graphic design online from Southern New Hampshire University.
Take the first step toward a career of visual expression and doing what you love with this online associate degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
The design bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for design & applied arts students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts
Translate your creative ideas through concept, design and digital media with a bachelor's in graphic design online from Southern New Hampshire University.
Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Get on the right path to the fast-paced, exciting world of video game art and design with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts.
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts has to look into Columbia College Chicago. Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.
Soon after graduation, design bachelor's recipients typically earn about $29,630 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Columbia College Chicago
It's difficult to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Those design & applied arts students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive $5,430 more than the typical design student.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
DePaul University is a great choice for students interested in a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the design program report average early career wages of $30,536.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from DePaul University
Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in design & applied arts has to look into University of Illinois at Chicago. UIC is a very large public university located in the large city of Chicago.
Bachelor's recipients from the design & applied arts degree program at University of Illinois at Chicago earn $5,137 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from University of Illinois at Chicago
Located in the midsize city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the design program state that they receive average early career wages of $22,893.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Bradley University
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Design & Applied Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Illinois State University get an earnings boost of approximately $10,047 over the average earnings of design & applied arts graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Illinois State University
Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Elmhurst.More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Elmhurst University
Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Loyola University Chicago
Located in the city of Chicago, The Academy is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the design program earn an average of $19,537 for their early career.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from American Academy of Art
Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of River Forest.
After graduating, design bachelor's recipients typically earn about $22,938 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in design & applied arts from Dominican UniversityLearn about other programs related to Design & Applied Arts that might interest you.
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts - Web Design
Gain a solid grounding in your online web design classes and exercise your creative muscle with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
BS in Game Programming & Development
Go beyond traditional software development to gain the technical expertise required to succeed in an exciting and competitive field with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
Design & Applied Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Graphic Design | 328 |
| Game & Interactive Media Design | 118 |
| Fashion Design | 75 |
| Interior Design | 64 |
| Illustration | 64 |
| Visual Communications | 47 |
| Industrial Design | 22 |
| Commercial & Advertising Art | 17 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 1,222 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 734 |
| Music | 557 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 446 |
| Arts & Media Management | 144 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 75 |
| Dance | 47 |
| Other Visual Art | 37 |
