2025 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois
17
Colleges in Illinois
1,595
Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,338
Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #31 in popularity,
fine & studio arts is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
College Factual looked at 17 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,595 degrees in fine & studio arts annually.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Fine & Studio Arts School
Your choice of fine & studio arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Fine & Studio Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Fine & Studio Arts Rankings by Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
Best Schools for Fine & Studio Arts in Illinois
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the fine arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top Illinois Schools in Fine Arts
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
11th
Most Popular In IL
It's hard to beat Northwestern University if you want to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were about 24 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Northwestern University
It's hard to beat School of the Art Institute of Chicago if you want to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.
There were approximately 735 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the fine arts program earn around $24,133 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Any student who is interested in fine & studio arts has to check out University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.
There were approximately 48 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the fine & studio arts degree program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn $2,331 more than the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Illinois State University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in fine & studio arts. Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.
There were approximately 105 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from Illinois State University earn a boost of about $9,629 above the average income of fine & studio arts majors.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Illinois State University
Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #212 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great college overall.
There were approximately 50 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program state that they receive average early career earnings of $22,765.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Columbia College Chicago
NIU is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Dekalb. This university ranks 20th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 99 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the fine arts program earn around $26,795 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Northern Illinois University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
17th
Most Popular In IL
Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Wheaton. A Best Colleges rank of #407 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Wheaton College Illinois is a great college overall.
There were roughly 8 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Wheaton College Illinois in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Wheaton College Illinois
UIC is a very large public university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #254 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.
There were about 47 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program state that they receive average early career wages of $21,954.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Illinois at Chicago
EIU is a moderately-sized public university located in the remote town of Charleston. This university ranks 52nd out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were roughly 71 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at EIU in the most recent data year. Those fine & studio arts students who get their degree from Eastern Illinois University receive $12,069 more than the typical fine arts student.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Eastern Illinois University
Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.
There were approximately 9 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year. After graduating, fine arts degree recipients generally earn an average of $27,291 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from DePaul University
