2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 5 colleges that offered a degree in design and applied arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality design and applied arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois master’s degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 5 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

$56,567 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 3 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567.

Read full report on 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 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 Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIC are $27,036, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at UIC

#3

Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, Illinois

#1 in overall quality

$30,695 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$110,432 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #3 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 8 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech also took the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois Tech are $30,695, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Illinois Institute of Technology Design & Applied Arts Report

#4

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

#3 in overall quality

$19,760 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 8 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul are $19,760.

Full DePaul Design & Applied Arts Report

#5

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

#4 in overall quality

$43,912 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 19 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

School of the Art Institute of Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at School of the Art Institute of Chicago are $43,912.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at School of the Art Institute of Chicago

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $48-$75k)

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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