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2022 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

28 Ranked Colleges
1,685 Degrees Awarded
$15,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Fine & Studio Arts is the 29th most popular major in the country with 39,860 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 28 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in fine and studio arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent fine and studio arts programs, but they also cost less that 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 $30-$48k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $30-$48k) 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 $30-$48k list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $3,995 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

With a 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 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Northwestern University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #2 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,800 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at UChicago

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 $30-$48k. 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.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $8,464 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 UIUC

#4

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. EIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 67 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $11,316 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Full EIU Fine & Studio Arts Report

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #5 spot on the list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE also took the #12 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $9,938 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Fine & Studio Arts Report

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

With a ranking of #6, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,861 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NIU.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Northern Illinois University

#7

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 93 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,999 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Illinois State

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,185 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Fine & Studio Arts at UIC

#9

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 21 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $14,526 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at WIU

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,306 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SIUC.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at SIUC

With a ranking of #11, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,513 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#12

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Knox College is located in Galesburg, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Knox College is $19,186 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Knox

#13

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 15 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wheaton College Illinois has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,212 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Fine & Studio Arts Report

#14

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lake Forest is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lake Forest, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $19,152 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Lake Forest College

#15

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Olivet Nazarene University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It awarded 23 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $15,390 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Fine & Studio Arts at Olivet Nazarene University

#16

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

North Park not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Park University is $17,270 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 University

#17

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

Millikin also took the #20 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $17,692 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Millikin University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#18

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dominican University is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Dominican U has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,586 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dominican University.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Dominican University

#19

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bradley is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 16 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,232 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bradley.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 Bradley University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#20

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Elmhurst is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $17,837 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Elmhurst

#21

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Illinois Wesleyan is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomington, Illinois. It awarded 3 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan also took the #7 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan University is $19,857 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#22

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Augustana has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $16,249 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Augustana College

#23

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Central is $20,128 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#24

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

Columbia also took the #23 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $27,397 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Columbia 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 $30-$48k ranking. The Academy is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $24,609 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The Academy.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 American Academy of Art

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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