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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income Over $110k) in Illinois

17 Ranked Colleges
804 Degrees Awarded
$29,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

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 Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 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.

For this year’s “Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, we looked at 17 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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 picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. 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.

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Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income Over $110k) 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 Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 108 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Full UIC Design & Applied Arts Report

#3

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #2 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State University Design & Applied Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #4 for the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #14 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at SIUC

#5

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dominican University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k. Dominican U 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. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $19,268 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.

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.

Full Dominican University Design & Applied Arts Report

#6

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. 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 also took the #11 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,195 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.

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

#7

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 14 students 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 College is $23,874 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 more about Design & Applied Arts at Augustana College

#8

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #8. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 6 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Millikin University is $21,331 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

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 Millikin

Trinity International University - Illinois came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. TIU Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Deerfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k list, TIU Illinois has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,204 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Trinity International University - Illinois.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at TIU Illinois

#10

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Elmhurst University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Elmhurst University is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

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 is $21,485 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Elmhurst University

#11

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #11. North Central is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k list, North Central has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $24,786 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Full North Central Design & Applied Arts Report

#12

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #12. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k list, Bradley has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $25,634 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Bradley Design & Applied Arts Report

#13

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Columbia is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 272 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $31,099 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Columbia College Chicago Design & Applied Arts Report

#14

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Roosevelt University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt University is $22,749 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Roosevelt

#15

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #15. DePaul University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 85 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul is $30,090 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at DePaul

#16

American Academy of Art

Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. American Academy of Art is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 27 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The Academy not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $28,106 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend American Academy of Art.

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.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at The Academy

#17

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #17. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $35,407 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Loyola University 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Loyola 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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