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2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

28 Ranked Colleges
1,685 Degrees Awarded
$21,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the fine and studio arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois fine arts students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in Illinois (With Aid)

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 54 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students 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. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for illinois fine arts students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at UIUC

#2

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #2 spot on the list. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 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. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid.

Full Eastern Illinois University Fine & Studio Arts Report

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 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. 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 $13,312 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend UIC.

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 full report on Fine & Studio Arts at UIC

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 87 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

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 $18,259 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at NIU

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 40 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students with aid list, SIUE has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid.

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

With a ranking of #6, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. 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. It costs about $15,843 for illinois fine arts students with aid per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#7

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students with aid list, WIU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for illinois fine arts students with aid.

Full Western Illinois University Fine & Studio Arts Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 42 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at SIUC

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 93 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

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 $20,895 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid.

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 full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Illinois State

#10

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 29 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $24,664 for illinois fine arts students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Northwestern

#11

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. North Park is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

North Park not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend North Park University is $19,170 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid.

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.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at North Park University

#12

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 23 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $20,195 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid.

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%.

Full Olivet Nazarene University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#13

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Millikin University is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 8 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin also took the #20 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,331 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend Millikin.

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.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Millikin University

#14

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students with aid list, Dominican U has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $19,268 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid.

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

#15

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

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 $25,358 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Wheaton College Illinois

#16

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Elmhurst University 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.

Elmhurst also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $21,485 for illinois fine arts students with aid.

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

#17

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Augustana College is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

Augustana also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $23,874 for illinois fine arts students with aid per year to attend Augustana.

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

Full Augustana College Fine & Studio Arts Report

#18

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bradley University is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 16 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students with aid list, Bradley has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley is $25,634 for illinois fine arts students with aid.

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

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Bradley University

#19

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid 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 $26,426 for illinois fine arts students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Fine & Studio Arts at Lake Forest

#20

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Knox College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Knox is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 12 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Knox is $22,292 for illinois fine arts students with aid.

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.

Full Knox Fine & Studio Arts Report

#21

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 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 College is $24,786 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Full North Central College Fine & Studio Arts Report

#22

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Wesleyan, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan is $26,039 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 87%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Illinois Wesleyan

#23

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #23, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Columbia is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 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 $31,099 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Columbia

#24

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 23 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $27,315 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid 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%. 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 University of Chicago

#25

American Academy of Art

Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. 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.

It costs about $28,106 for Illinois Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend The Academy.

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

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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