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2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

12 Ranked Colleges
329 Degrees Awarded
$18,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Graphic Design is the 105th most popular major in the country with 8,541 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Illinois, there were 462 graphic design graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 329 graphic design graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer a degree in graphic design. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent graphic design programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the graphic design program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Graphic Design Schools

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 Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 12 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Graphic Design (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1 in overall quality

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 #1 for the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 56 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $8,464 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Graphic Design at UIUC

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $11,185 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Graphic Design at University of Illinois at Chicago

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeastern Illinois University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,513 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Graphic Design at Northeastern Illinois University

#4

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bradley University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $18,232 for illinois bachelor’s degree graphic design 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 Graphic Design at Bradley

#5

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Elmhurst University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Elmhurst is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 7 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $17,837 for illinois bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Elmhurst University Graphic Design Report

#6

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Augustana College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $16,249 for illinois bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Augustana Graphic Design Report

#7

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s graphic design students in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Central is $20,128 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at North Central

#11 in overall quality

Trinity International University - Illinois ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. TIU Illinois is a small school located in Deerfield, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

TIU Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend TIU Illinois is $20,693 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Trinity International University - Illinois Graphic Design Report

#9

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Columbia is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 67 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $27,397 for illinois bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia.

Read more about Graphic Design at Columbia College Chicago

#10

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k list, Roosevelt has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt University is $20,330 for illinois bachelor’s degree graphic design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Graphic Design at Roosevelt

#11

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul University is $25,842 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at DePaul

#12

American Academy of Art

Chicago, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, American Academy of Art did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. The Academy is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

The Academy not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for The Academy is $24,609 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Graphic Design at The Academy

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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