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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in Illinois

28 Ranked Colleges
762 Degrees Awarded
$33,320 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Design & Applied Arts is the 36th most popular major in the country with 36,323 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , design & applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $32,210 and had an average of $24,297 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 1,143 design & applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,258 and $22,982 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 762 design & applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,374 and $23,086 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree in design & applied arts. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in design & applied arts.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois” list to help you make the college 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.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree design students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in Illinois

1
The Academy crest
American Academy of Art
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Academy of Art. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. American Academy of Art is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at American Academy of Art

2
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia College Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. Columbia College Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 239 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Columbia

3
Eureka College crest
Eureka College
Eureka, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eureka College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois. Eureka College is a small school located in Eureka, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s design degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Eureka College

4
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bradley University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s design degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Bradley University

5
Quincy U crest
Quincy University
Quincy, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Quincy University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois. Quincy, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 2 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Quincy University Design & Applied Arts Report

6
Judson crest
Judson University
Elgin, Illinois

Judson University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking. Elgin, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Judson

7
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Augustana College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. Augustana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Augustana College

8
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at North Central

9
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #9. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Dominican University

10
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 97 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Full DePaul Design & Applied Arts Report

11
Elmhurst crest
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Elmhurst University

12
Trinity Christian crest
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, Trinity Christian College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. Palos Heights, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 5 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Trinity Christian College

13

Trinity International University - Illinois landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking. Deerfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 5 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at TIU Illinois

14

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 79 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

15

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 100 bachelors’s design degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at UIUC

16
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Olivet Nazarene

17
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. Roosevelt is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 4 bachelors’s design degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Roosevelt

18
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #18. Lewis University is a medium-sized school located in Romeoville, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s design degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Lewis Design & Applied Arts Report

19

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #19. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s design degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State Design & Applied Arts Report

20
Millikin crest
Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Millikin University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. Millikin University is located in Decatur, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Millikin

21
Benedictine U crest
Benedictine University
Lisle, Illinois

Benedictine University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #21. Benedictine U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lisle, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Benedictine University

22
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Aurora University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. Aurora University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Aurora, Illinois. It awarded 19 bachelors’s design degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Aurora Design & Applied Arts Report

23

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 9 bachelors’s design degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Design & Applied Arts Report

24
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #24. Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Concordia University, Chicago

25
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking. Loyola Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Loyola University Chicago

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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