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2022 Best Value Colleges for Graphic Design in Illinois (With Aid)

13 Ranked Colleges
462 Degrees Awarded
$21,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

Graphic Design is the 105th most popular major in the country with 8,541 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Illinois, there were 462 graphic design graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 13 colleges that offer a degree in graphic design. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great graphic design programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the graphic design program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Graphic Design Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.

Top 13 Best Value Colleges for Graphic Design in Illinois (With Aid)

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s graphic design degrees to 56 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for Illinois Graphic Design students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Graphic Design at UIUC

#2

Elgin Community College

Elgin, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Elgin Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. ECC is a medium-sized school located in Elgin, Illinois that handed out 21 ’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

ECC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Graphic Design Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend ECC is $4,185 for Illinois Graphic Design students with aid.

Read full report on Graphic Design at ECC

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,312 for Illinois Graphic Design students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at University of Illinois at Chicago

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeastern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 6 ’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Graphic Design Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for illinois graphic design students with aid.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Graphic Design Report

#5

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Elmhurst University landed the #5 spot on the list. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 7 ’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Graphic Design Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $21,485 for Illinois Graphic Design students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Elmhurst University Graphic Design Report

#6

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Augustana is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 ’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Graphic Design Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Augustana is $23,874 for Illinois Graphic Design students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Augustana College Graphic Design Report

#7

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 18 ’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley also took the #2 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $25,634 for illinois graphic design students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Graphic Design at Bradley

Trinity International University - Illinois landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. TIU Illinois is a small school located in Deerfield, Illinois that handed out 8 ’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

TIU Illinois also took the #12 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Trinity International University - Illinois is $21,204 for illinois graphic design students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Graphic Design at TIU Illinois

#9

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s graphic design degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois graphic design students with aid list, North Central has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Graphic Design Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $24,786 for Illinois Graphic Design students with aid per year to attend North Central College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at North Central

#10

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Roosevelt is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 18 ’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt also made our “Best Graphic Design Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt is $22,749 for illinois graphic design students with aid.

Read more about Graphic Design at Roosevelt

#11

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Columbia College Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 67 ’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best Graphic Design Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Chicago is $31,099 for illinois graphic design students with aid.

Full Columbia Graphic Design Report

#12

American Academy of Art

Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. The Academy is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 2 ’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

The Academy also took the #10 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The Academy is $28,106 for Illinois Graphic Design students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Graphic Design at American Academy of Art

#13

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. DePaul is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 41 ’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Graphic Design Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $30,090 for illinois graphic design students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Graphic Design at DePaul

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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