2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2019-2020, 36,854 people earned their degree in design and applied arts, making the major the 34th most popular in the United States. 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 804 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 18 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in design and applied arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great design and applied arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois
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 Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 108 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $13,351 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,683 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.
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 Design & Applied Arts at University of Illinois at Chicago
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also took the #2 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $19,080 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Illinois State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
SIUC also took the #14 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,985 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Augustana College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Augustana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $21,453 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Northeastern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $18,180 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full Northeastern Illinois University Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #7, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Olivet Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene is $17,841 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Olivet Nazarene University
Elmhurst University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $19,703 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
Millikin University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,390 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Millikin.
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.
With a ranking of #10, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dominican University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 27 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Dominican U also took the #12 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,582 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Dominican U.
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.
Bradley University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 37 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Bradley also took the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $22,865 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. North Central is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
North Central also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend North Central College is $23,353 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Trinity International University - Illinois ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. TIU Illinois is a small school located in Deerfield, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
TIU Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity International University - Illinois is $17,441 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.
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.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Trinity International University - Illinois
Columbia College Chicago ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 272 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Columbia also took the #8 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $31,071 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Columbia College Chicago.
Roosevelt University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Roosevelt also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt is $21,870 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Roosevelt University
With a ranking of #16, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 85 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
DePaul also took the #7 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $28,075 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend DePaul University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
American Academy of Art came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. The Academy is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
The Academy did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for American Academy of Art is $31,382 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at American Academy of Art
Loyola University Chicago came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola University Chicago is $32,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
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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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