Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Visual & Performing Arts

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

34 Ranked Colleges
5,876 Degrees Awarded
$14,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 155,377 visual and performing arts students received their degree, making the major the 10th most popular in the country. 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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 34 colleges that offered a degree in visual and performing arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great visual and performing arts programs and 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, 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 $30-$48k. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 386 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $3,995 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.

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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing 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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 73 ’s visual and performing arts degrees 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. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,800 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing 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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 385 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#4

Elgin Community College

Elgin, Illinois

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 $30-$48k. ECC 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 Elgin Community College is $3,717 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Elgin Community College

#5

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 #5 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 92 degrees to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

EIU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $11,316 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend EIU.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at EIU

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 94 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $9,938 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 174 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students 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 $11,185 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

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 full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Illinois at Chicago

#8

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 182 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $15,861 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Full Northern Illinois University Visual & Performing Arts Report

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 329 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,999 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois State University.

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%.

Full Illinois State University Visual & Performing Arts Report

#10

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 91 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, WIU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,526 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend WIU.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at WIU

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 120 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,306 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SIUC.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Visual & Performing Arts Report

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also took the #25 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,513 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Visual & Performing Arts Report

#13

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $16,212 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

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 student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Wheaton College Illinois

#14

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Saint Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Saint Francis is $11,229 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of St Francis

#15

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Galesburg, Illinois, and it awarded 25 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,186 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Knox College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at Knox

Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 10 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $18,720 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois Institute of Technology.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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. 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 Institute of Technology

#17

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Lake Forest has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest is $19,152 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Lake Forest Visual & Performing Arts Report

#18

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, North Park University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 39 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 $30-$48k list, North Park has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,270 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend North Park.

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 Visual & Performing Arts at North Park University

#19

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 40 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,390 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at Olivet Nazarene University

#20

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 94 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 $30-$48k list, Millikin has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,692 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Millikin.

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.

Full Millikin University Visual & Performing Arts Report

#21

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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 also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $17,837 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Elmhurst

#22

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 33 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,586 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dominican U.

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.

Full Dominican U Visual & Performing Arts Report

#23

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bradley University is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 95 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley University is $18,232 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Visual & Performing Arts at Bradley University

#24

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #13 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $16,249 for illinois visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at Augustana College

#25

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Illinois Wesleyan is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bloomington, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $19,857 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan University.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Illinois Wesleyan

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

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You