2022 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Design & Applied Arts is the 34th most popular major in the country with 36,854 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, design and applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,542 and had an average of $27,114 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 1,178 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,274 and $37,640 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in design and applied arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent design and applied arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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The design school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $1,866 for illinois design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 108 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Illinois Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Elgin Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Elgin, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.
ECC also took the #20 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elgin Community College is $2,384 for illinois design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Elgin Community College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 83 students in 2019-2020.
UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $10,648 for Illinois Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 30 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also took the #4 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $14,470 for Illinois Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2019-2020.
Illinois Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,222 for illinois design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois Tech.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Illinois Institute of Technology
Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
SIUC also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $13,658 for Illinois Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #8, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 37 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,205 for Illinois Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bradley University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Bradley University
With a ranking of #9, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern Illinois University, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for illinois design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Northeastern Illinois University
Elmhurst University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Elmhurst is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 7 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Elmhurst also took the #12 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $16,903 for illinois design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Elmhurst University
Augustana College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 14 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Augustana also took the #7 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $20,355 for illinois design students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Millikin is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Millikin has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $17,656 for illinois design students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Dominican University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dominican University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 27 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Dominican U also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $17,060 for illinois design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
With a ranking of #14, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,806 for illinois design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.
The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Design & Applied Arts at Olivet Nazarene University
North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. North Central College is a small school located in Naperville, Illinois that handed out 23 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
North Central not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $18,889 for Illinois Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
With a ranking of #16, Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Deerfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois design students whose families make $0-$30k list, TIU Illinois has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,405 for Illinois Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend TIU Illinois.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Columbia College Chicago came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 272 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2019-2020.
Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $27,120 for illinois design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia.
American Academy of Art ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 27 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at The Academy, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $23,987 for Illinois Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The Academy.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Roosevelt University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Roosevelt University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 24 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt University is $20,398 for Illinois Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Roosevelt University
DePaul University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. DePaul University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 93 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $26,173 for Illinois Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
Loyola University Chicago ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 12 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $29,440 for Illinois Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Loyola Chicago.
The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
With a ranking of #22, School of the Art Institute of Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 20 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago also took the #18 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $38,617 for illinois design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
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.
Full School of the Art Institute of Chicago Design & Applied Arts Report
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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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