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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design

15 Ranked Colleges
1,084 Degrees Awarded
$35,100 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 36,301 people earned their degree in design and applied arts, making the major the 36th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, design and applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,426 and had an average of $25,481 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 1,084 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,103 and $26,512 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design” ranking analyzed 15 colleges that offered a degree in design and applied arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent design and applied arts programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois vets studying design.

Top 15 Best Design & Applied Arts Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 105 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 52,679 students enrolled at UIUC, 10 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

2
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia College Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 271 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Columbia supports 6,769 students, and 140 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 98 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,151. On top of their other funding sources, 25 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Columbia]](/colleges/columbia-college-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 83 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 33,518 students enrolled at UIC, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,878. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design list. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 25 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Illinois State University supports 20,720 students, and 530 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 163 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,997. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at Illinois State]](/colleges/illinois-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

5
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 15 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design that were part of this year’s ranking, DePaul University landed the #5 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 89 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul University, 528 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,957. On top of their other funding sources, 101 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Read More…

6
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design ranking, coming in at #6. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying design list, North Central has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 2,832 students enrolled at North Central, 46 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 32 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,214. During this same period, 15 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at North Central]](/colleges/north-central-college/student-life/veterans/)

7

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design ranking, coming in at #7. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

Illinois Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 83 of the 6,325 students enrolled at Illinois Institute of Technology were GI Bill® students, of which 52 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,905. On top of their other funding sources, 14 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

8
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design list. Loyola Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s design degrees to qualified students.

Loyola Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 261 of the 16,893 students enrolled at Loyola University Chicago were GI Bill® students, of which 165 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,263. In addition to receiving other benefits, 78 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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.

Read More…

9
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design ranking, coming in at #9. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

Roosevelt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 95 of the 4,680 students enrolled at Roosevelt University were GI Bill® students, of which 43 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,071. In addition to receiving other benefits, 20 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Roosevelt]](/colleges/roosevelt-university/student-life/veterans/)

10
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Bradley University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design list. Bradley University is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 ’s design degrees to qualified students.

Bradley also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 5,855 students enrolled at Bradley, 96 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 61 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,498. In addition to receiving other benefits, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Bradley offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read More…

11
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design ranking. Dominican U is a small school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 12 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dominican U, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 3,189 students enrolled at Dominican U, 37 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 17 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,038. To help with additional expenses, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Dominican U offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Dominican U]](/colleges/dominican-university/student-life/veterans/)

12
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design ranking, coming in at #12. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 22,603 students enrolled at Northwestern, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $399. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Northwestern Veteran Student Life Report

13
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design list. Olivet Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 57 of the 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene University were GI Bill® students, of which 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,334. In addition to receiving other benefits, 11 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Olivet Nazarene University Veteran Student Life Report

14

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design list. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 16 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

School of the Art Institute of Chicago also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 3,132 students enrolled at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 55 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 33 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,359. On top of their other funding sources, 16 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

[Read full report on veteran student life at School of the Art Institute of Chicago]](/colleges/school-of-the-art-institute-of-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

15
The Academy crest
American Academy of Art
Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design ranking. The Academy is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 25 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The Academy also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 169 students enrolled at The Academy, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read More…

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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