2022 Best Value Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
With 155,377 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, visual and performing arts is the 10th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, visual and performing arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $25,427 and had an average of $28,377 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 5,876 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $24,817 and $32,020 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 34 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in visual and performing arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent visual and performing 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 visual and performing arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
The visual & performing 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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 386 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $1,866 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 Visual & Performing Arts at Northwestern
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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 73 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.
UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $2,712 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Chicago.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%.
Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 385 degrees to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $5,477 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Elgin Community College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Elgin Community College is located in Elgin, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend ECC is $2,384 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Elgin Community College Visual & Performing Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 94 students in 2019-2020.
SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $8,055 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Visual & Performing Arts Report
With a ranking of #6, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 92 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $12,350 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
Northern Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 182 students in 2019-2020.
NIU also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 174 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $10,648 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k 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%.
Illinois State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 329 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,470 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State.
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%.
Wheaton College Illinois ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 41 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Visual & Performing Arts at Wheaton College Illinois
Western Illinois University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 91 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $13,942 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #12, Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois Tech is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.
Illinois Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Institute of Technology is $17,222 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. 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 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Illinois Tech
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 120 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $13,658 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Northeastern Illinois University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 46 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern Illinois University, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,816 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.
Full Northeastern Illinois University Visual & Performing Arts Report
With a ranking of #15, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 94 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Millikin also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $17,656 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
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.
Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 27 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Lake Forest also took the #12 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $18,192 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 Visual & Performing Arts at Lake Forest College
Elmhurst University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Elmhurst is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.
Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $16,903 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #18, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 95 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Bradley is $17,205 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Bradley University
University of St Francis came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Saint Francis is $15,847 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at University of St Francis
With a ranking of #20, North Park University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 39 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, North Park has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,808 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Park University.
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 Visual & Performing Arts at North Park University
With a ranking of #21, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Augustana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $20,355 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
With a ranking of #22, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Olivet Nazarene is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $15,806 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full Olivet Nazarene University Visual & Performing Arts Report
Illinois Wesleyan University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Illinois Wesleyan is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomington, Illinois. It awarded 43 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois Wesleyan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan University is $18,570 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Illinois Wesleyan
Dominican University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $17,060 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 Visual & Performing Arts at Dominican University
Knox College landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Knox is a private not-for-profit institution located in Galesburg, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Knox is $16,828 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
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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 Bonnielou2013.
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