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2025 Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges in Illinois
1,066 Master's Degrees
$30,956 Avg Early-Career Salary
a master's degree in visual & performing arts is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #10 out of 37 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,066 master's degrees in visual & performing arts during the 2022-2023 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Visual & Performing Arts School for Your Master's Degree

Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools in Illinois The visual & performing arts master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for visual & performing arts students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Visual & Performing Arts Schools

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More Visual & Performing Arts Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Visual & Performing Arts in Illinois

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for visual & performing arts students seeking a a master's degree.

10 Top Illinois Schools for a Master's in Visual & Performing Arts

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
209 Annual Graduates

Northwestern University is a good decision for students pursuing a master's degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
84 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you wish to pursue a master's degree in visual & performing arts. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
208 Annual Graduates

School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a good decision for individuals interested in a master's degree in visual & performing arts. Located in the city of Chicago, School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from School of the Art Institute of Chicago

4
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
151 Annual Graduates

DePaul University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in visual & performing arts. DePaul is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from DePaul University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Annual Graduates

Columbia is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from Columbia College Chicago

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from University of Illinois at Chicago

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
77 Annual Graduates

Roosevelt is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from Roosevelt University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 Annual Graduates

Located in the remote town of Charleston, EIU is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from Eastern Illinois University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Annual Graduates

Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Normal.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from Illinois State University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in visual & performing arts from Northern Illinois University

Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Indiana 33 304
Ohio 32 637
Michigan 31 354
Wisconsin 31 115

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Visual & Performing Arts Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Music 375
Fine & Studio Arts 285
Drama & Theater Arts 132
Arts & Media Management 128
Design & Applied Arts 67
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 67
General Visual & Performing Arts 9
Dance 3

Notes and References

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