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

18 Ranked Colleges
804 Degrees Awarded
$18,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 36,854 people earned their degree in design and applied arts, making the major the 34th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, design and applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,542 and had an average of $27,114 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 1,178 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,274 and $37,640 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 804 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 18 colleges that offered a degree in design and applied arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality design and applied arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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 design and applied arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

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

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

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 108 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,464 for illinois bachelor’s degree design 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UIUC Design & Applied Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 68 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIC has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,185 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Design & Applied Arts at University of Illinois at Chicago

#3

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 30 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $14,999 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Design & Applied Arts at Illinois State University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,306 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at SIUC

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeastern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $15,513 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Design & Applied Arts Report

#6

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dominican University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 27 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dominican U, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,586 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dominican University.

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 Design & Applied Arts at Dominican University

#7

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,232 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bradley University.

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%.

Full Bradley Design & Applied Arts Report

#8

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,390 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.

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 Olivet Nazarene University Design & Applied Arts Report

#9

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Elmhurst University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $17,837 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Elmhurst University.

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%.

Full Elmhurst Design & Applied Arts Report

#10

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $16,249 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Augustana College Design & Applied Arts Report

#11

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Millikin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,692 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Millikin University.

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 more about Design & Applied Arts at Millikin

#12

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,128 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend North Central.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Design & Applied Arts at North Central

Trinity International University - Illinois came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Deerfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k list, TIU Illinois has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend TIU Illinois is $20,693 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Trinity International University - Illinois

#14

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Columbia is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 272 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Chicago is $27,397 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Columbia Design & Applied Arts Report

#15

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Roosevelt University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k list, Roosevelt has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,330 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Roosevelt.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Roosevelt

#16

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul also took the #7 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $25,842 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend DePaul University.

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 Design & Applied Arts at DePaul

#17

American Academy of Art

Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k list, The Academy has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend American Academy of Art is $24,609 for illinois bachelor’s degree 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.

Full American Academy of Art Design & Applied Arts Report

#18

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Chicago is $29,788 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Loyola University Chicago

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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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