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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in Illinois (With Aid)

31 Ranked Colleges
4,393 Degrees Awarded
$20,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,393 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 31 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in visual and performing arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality visual and performing arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

More Ways to Rank Visual & Performing Arts Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in Illinois (With Aid)

#2 in overall quality

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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 257 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at UIUC

#2

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 42 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

EIU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Full Eastern Illinois University Visual & Performing Arts Report

#19 in overall quality

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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 146 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing 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 UIC Visual & Performing Arts Report

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 137 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Northern Illinois University

#16 in overall quality

Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #5 spot on the list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 72 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also took the #16 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Visual & Performing Arts Report

#6

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Western Illinois University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 72 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid per year to attend WIU.

Full WIU Visual & Performing Arts Report

#24 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Northeastern Illinois University

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Illinois State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 279 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid list, Illinois State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid per year to attend Illinois State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Illinois State University

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 103 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #25 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#10

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Northwestern University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 220 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $24,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 Visual & Performing Arts at Northwestern University

#11

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, North Park University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. North Park University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Park, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Park is $19,170 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing 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 full report on Visual & Performing Arts at North Park

#12

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,538 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

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 full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Saint Francis

#13

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Millikin University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Millikin University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin also took the #18 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,331 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid per year to attend Millikin.

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.

Full Millikin Visual & Performing Arts Report

#14

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Olivet Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at Olivet Nazarene

#15

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Dominican U is a small school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 33 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $19,268 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

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 Dominican U

#16

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 50 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Elmhurst University

#17

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wheaton, Illinois. It awarded 41 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Wheaton College Illinois

#18

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Augustana College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Augustana College is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 41 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #14 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $23,874 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

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

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Augustana College

#19

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Bradley University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 89 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid list, Bradley has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $25,634 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing 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%. 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

With a ranking of #20, Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Deerfield, Illinois, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend TIU Illinois is $21,204 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at TIU Illinois

#21

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Lake Forest College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 27 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest is $26,426 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing 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 Visual & Performing Arts at Lake Forest College

#22

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. North Central is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $24,786 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid per year to attend North Central College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at North Central College

#23

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

With a ranking of #23, Knox College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Knox College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 25 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Knox College is $22,292 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

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. 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%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Knox

#24

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Roosevelt is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 96 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,749 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid per year to attend Roosevelt.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Roosevelt University

#25

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 939 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Chicago is $31,099 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students with aid.

Full Columbia Visual & Performing Arts Report

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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.

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