2026 Best Illustration Schools in the The Plains States Region
Illustration programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools to find the best for illustration students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Illustration in the The Plains States Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall illustration education in the The Plains States Region.
Top Schools in Illustration
Kansas City Art Institute tops our 2026 ranking of the best illustration schools. Kansas City Art Institute is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Kansas City. About 58% of students finish within six years. About 40 illustration degrees were awarded at Kansas City Art Institute in the most recent year. Students who receive their illustration degree from Kansas City Art Institute earn around $29,513 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
See the full illustration program report for Kansas City Art Institute
Students looking for a strong illustration program will find one at Minneapolis College Of Art And Design, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Minneapolis, Minneapolis College Of Art And Design is a small private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 51% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 54 illustration degrees were awarded at Minneapolis College Of Art And Design in the most recent year. Graduates of the illustration program make about $23,687 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
Read more about the illustration program at Minneapolis College Of Art And Design
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 4 schools evaluated.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
