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2022 Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

47 Ranked Colleges
2,067 Degrees Awarded
$20,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 2,551 people earned their degree in illustration, making the major the 255th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,067 illustration graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 47 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in illustration. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent illustration programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the illustration program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Illustration (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, New York
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Fashion Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. FIT SUNY is a medium-sized public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 77 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FIT SUNY, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,123 for Bachelor’s Degree Illustration students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fashion Institute of Technology.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, 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 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full FIT SUNY Illustration Report

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,834 for Bachelor’s Degree Illustration students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend BYU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Illustration at BYU

#3

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Ferris State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Ferris State University is a fairly large school located in Big Rapids, Michigan that handed out 20 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ferris is $7,207 for Bachelor’s Degree Illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Illustration at Ferris

#4

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York
#24 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY Fredonia. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. SUNY Fredonia is located in Fredonia, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s illustration degrees to qualified students.

SUNY Fredonia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Fredonia is $10,770 for bachelor’s degree illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Illustration at SUNY Fredonia

#5

Syracuse University

Syracuse, New York
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Syracuse University landed the #5 spot on the list. Syracuse University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Syracuse, New York. It awarded 17 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Syracuse, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Syracuse University is $17,164 for Bachelor’s Degree Illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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 Illustration at Syracuse University

#10 in overall quality

Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Virginia Commonwealth University is a large public school situated in Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 89 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

VCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Commonwealth University is $16,768 for Bachelor’s Degree Illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Full Virginia Commonwealth University Illustration Report

#14 in overall quality

Massachusetts College of Art and Design did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

Massachusetts College of Art and Design not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Massachusetts College of Art and Design is $18,422 for bachelor’s degree illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Illustration at Massachusetts College of Art and Design

#8

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,925 for Bachelor’s Degree Illustration students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth.

Read more about Illustration at UMass Dartmouth

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Lakewood, Colorado, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for RMCAD is $23,752 for bachelor’s degree illustration 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.

Full RMCAD Illustration Report

Grace College and Theological Seminary ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Grace College is located in Winona Lake, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s illustration degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $17,874 for bachelor’s degree illustration students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grace College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Grace College and Theological Seminary Illustration Report

#11

John Brown University

Siloam Springs, Arkansas
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, John Brown University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. JBU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at JBU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend JBU is $17,426 for Bachelor’s Degree Illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 86%.

Full John Brown University Illustration Report

#12

Marywood University

Scranton, Pennsylvania
#21 in overall quality

Marywood University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

Marywood also took the #21 spot in our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Marywood University is $17,062 for bachelor’s degree illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Illustration at Marywood University

#13

Concordia University, Wisconsin

Mequon, Wisconsin

Concordia University, Wisconsin ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Concordia University, Wisconsin is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Mequon, Wisconsin. It awarded 4 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Wisconsin is $20,297 for Bachelor’s Degree Illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Concordia University, Wisconsin Illustration Report

#14

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#11 in overall quality

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. MIAD is a small school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 33 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

MIAD also made our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design is $20,796 for bachelor’s degree illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full MIAD Illustration Report

#15

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Columbia College Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $27,120 for Bachelor’s Degree Illustration students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia.

Read more about Illustration at Columbia College Chicago

#22 in overall quality

Columbus College of Art and Design ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. CCAD is a small school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 57 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CCAD, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbus College of Art and Design is $23,324 for bachelor’s degree illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

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.

Full Columbus College of Art and Design Illustration Report

#17

Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#18 in overall quality

Minneapolis College of Art and Design did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

MCAD also took the #18 spot in our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MCAD is $24,434 for Bachelor’s Degree Illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Illustration at Minneapolis College of Art and Design

#18

George Fox University

Newberg, Oregon
#25 in overall quality

George Fox University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Newberg, Oregon, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GFU, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $22,955 for bachelor’s degree illustration students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GFU.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 GFU Illustration Report

#19

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, New York
#7 in overall quality

Rochester Institute of Technology landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Rochester, New York, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

RIT also took the #7 spot in our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for RIT is $27,095 for bachelor’s degree illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Rochester Institute of Technology Illustration Report

#19

American Academy of Art

Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. The Academy is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for American Academy of Art is $23,987 for bachelor’s degree illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Illustration at The Academy

#21

University of Hartford

West Hartford, Connecticut

University of Hartford landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Hartford is a medium-sized school located in West Hartford, Connecticut that handed out 20 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $25,767 for bachelor’s degree illustration students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Hartford.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Illustration at University of Hartford

#22

Arcadia University

Glenside, Pennsylvania

Arcadia University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Arcadia is located in Glenside, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s illustration degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Arcadia is $22,224 for Bachelor’s Degree Illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Illustration at Arcadia University

#23

Kansas City Art Institute

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City Art Institute did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. This small school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Kansas City Art Institute is $26,393 for Bachelor’s Degree Illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 Illustration at Kansas City Art Institute

#24

College for Creative Studies

Detroit, Michigan
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, College for Creative Studies did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

CCS also took the #5 spot in our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CCS is $32,795 for bachelor’s degree illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

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.

Full CCS Illustration Report

#25

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, California
#13 in overall quality

California College of the Arts came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Illustration Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s illustration degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree illustration students whose families make $0-$30k list, California College of the Arts has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Illustration Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California College of the Arts is $28,555 for Bachelor’s Degree Illustration students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full California College of the Arts Illustration Report

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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