2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

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. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 53 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,267 and $46,814 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 5 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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 Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 5 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

$56,567 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #0 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Northwestern University

#2

University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

#2 in overall quality

$27,036 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s design degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Chicago are $27,036, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Illinois at Chicago

#3

Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, Illinois

#1 in overall quality

$30,695 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$110,432 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois Institute of Technology. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois Tech is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois Tech has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois Institute of Technology are $30,695, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Illinois Institute of Technology

#4

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

#3 in overall quality

$19,760 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend DePaul University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 8 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul University are $19,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at DePaul University

#5

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

#4 in overall quality

$43,912 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 19 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at School of the Art Institute of Chicago are $43,912, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at School of the Art Institute of Chicago

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k)

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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