Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Fine & Studio Arts

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

28 Ranked Colleges
1,685 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

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 Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 $48-$75k” 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

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 $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $48-$75k) 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 $48-$75k 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $6,452 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 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%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students 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. It costs about $7,934 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UChicago.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on 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 $48-$75k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 54 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,351 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Fine & Studio Arts Report

#4

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 67 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $13,560 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at EIU

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 40 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students 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. It costs about $13,705 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Fine & Studio Arts Report

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 87 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,346 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at NIU

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees 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 yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,683 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 University of Illinois at Chicago

#8

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,691 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Fine & Studio Arts at Wheaton College Illinois

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 93 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $19,080 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Illinois State

With a ranking of #10, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 42 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $14,985 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#11

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $15,912 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Western Illinois University Fine & Studio Arts Report

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 24 degrees to qualified ’s Fine Arts students 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 $18,180 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Northeastern Illinois University

#13

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 23 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $17,841 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Fine & Studio Arts at Olivet Nazarene University

#14

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, North Park University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 19 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

North Park did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend North Park University is $18,813 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 North Park University

#15

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 8 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,390 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Millikin University.

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

#16

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Lake Forest College 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.

Lake Forest also took the #9 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest is $24,683 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full Lake Forest College Fine & Studio Arts Report

#17

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 8 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k 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 $21,453 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 Augustana Fine & Studio Arts Report

#18

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Knox College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Galesburg, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Knox College is $19,653 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Knox

#19

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Elmhurst University is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 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. It costs about $19,703 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Elmhurst.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Elmhurst University

#20

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dominican University is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

Dominican U also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $18,582 for Illinois Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Dominican University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#21

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley University is $22,865 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Fine & Studio Arts Report

#22

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. North Central College is a small school located in Naperville, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $23,353 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#23

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

With a ranking of #23, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Illinois Wesleyan is located in Bloomington, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

Illinois Wesleyan also took the #7 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan University is $23,309 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Full Illinois Wesleyan Fine & Studio Arts Report

#24

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 26 degrees to qualified ’s Fine Arts students 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 College Chicago is $31,071 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Columbia

#25

American Academy of Art

Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend American Academy of Art is $31,382 for illinois fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on 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.

Featured Fine Arts Schools

Find Schools Near You