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2025 Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

2 Colleges in Illinois
82 Master's Degrees
a master's degree in design & applied arts is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #72 out of 343 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 2 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 82 master's degrees in design & applied arts during the 2021-2022 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for design & applied arts students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Design Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools in Illinois list to help you make the college decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Design & Applied Arts in Illinois

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in design & applied arts.

Top Illinois Schools for a Master's in Design

1
21 Annual Graduates

University of Illinois at Chicago is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in design & applied arts from University of Illinois at Chicago

2
20 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat School of the Art Institute of Chicago if you wish to pursue a master's degree in design & applied arts. Located in the city of Chicago, School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.More information about a master’s in design & applied arts from School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 211 34
Ohio 207 90
Indiana 191 16
Wisconsin 173 3

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Design & Applied Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Design Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Other Design & Applied Arts 26
Visual Communications 18
Graphic Design 17
Game & Interactive Media Design 12
Fashion Design 6
Industrial Design 3

Related Major Annual Graduates
Music 292
Fine & Studio Arts 278
Arts & Media Management 145
Drama & Theater Arts 121
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 62
General Visual & Performing Arts 10
Dance 5

Notes and References

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