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2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

28 Ranked Colleges
1,685 Degrees Awarded
$15,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 39,860 people earned their degree in fine and studio arts, making the major the 29th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, fine and studio arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $23,847 and had an average of $28,316 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 1,685 fine and studio arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $22,071 and $29,661 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 28 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in fine and studio arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality fine and studio arts programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the fine and studio arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Fine & Studio Arts Schools

The fine arts 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 Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $1,866 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 23 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,712 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at University of Chicago

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $5,477 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at UIUC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $8,055 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at SIUE

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. EIU is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $12,350 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full EIU Fine & Studio Arts Report

#6

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 93 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois State has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $14,470 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State Fine & Studio Arts Report

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 87 degrees to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,281 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NIU.

Full NIU Fine & Studio Arts Report

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 43 students in 2019-2020.

UIC also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $10,648 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIC.

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 more about Fine & Studio Arts at University of Illinois at Chicago

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 42 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $13,658 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#10

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Western Illinois University is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

WIU also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $13,942 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at WIU

#11

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 15 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wheaton College Illinois, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,440 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Fine & Studio Arts Report

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 24 degrees to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#13

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 15 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $18,192 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lake Forest.

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%.

Full Lake Forest Fine & Studio Arts Report

#14

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 8 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Millikin is $17,656 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive 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.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Millikin

#15

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bradley is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 16 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $17,205 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bradley.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Bradley

#16

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. North Park is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 19 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

North Park also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for North Park University is $17,808 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive 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.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at North Park

#17

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 23 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,806 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.

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%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Olivet Nazarene

#18

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bloomington, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan also took the #7 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,570 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The 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 Illinois Wesleyan University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#19

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 2 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $16,903 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full Elmhurst Fine & Studio Arts Report

#20

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 8 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #21 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,355 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Augustana College.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Augustana College Fine & Studio Arts Report

#21

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Knox College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Knox College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 12 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,828 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Knox.

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. The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Fine & Studio Arts at Knox

#22

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $17,060 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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.

Full Dominican University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#23

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. North Central College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Naperville, Illinois. It awarded 6 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $18,889 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at North Central College

#24

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia College Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 26 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $27,120 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Columbia College Chicago Fine & Studio Arts Report

#25

American Academy of Art

Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 12 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for American Academy of Art is $23,987 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at The Academy

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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jorge Royan.

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