Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Design & Applied Arts

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income Over $110k) in Illinois

21 Ranked Colleges
1,178 Degrees Awarded
$29,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” 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.

For this year’s “Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

The design school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

82482731028677239032710921819240182583328047256372440828345293303211634148290863504143465405373904849700

Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois design students whose families make more than $110k.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income Over $110k) in Illinois

#1

Elgin Community College

Elgin, Illinois

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Elgin Community College landed the #1 spot on the list. Elgin Community College is a public institution located in Elgin, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

ECC also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $4,185 for Illinois Design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Elgin Community College.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at ECC

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 108 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $15,880 for illinois design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UIUC.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Design & Applied Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois Institute of Technology. The school came in at #3 for the Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 10 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $22,831 for illinois design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Illinois Institute of Technology.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Illinois Institute of Technology

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #4 for the Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 83 ’s design degrees to qualified students.

UIC also took the #8 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for Illinois Design students whose families make more than $110k.

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 Design & Applied Arts at UIC

#5

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified ’s design students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois design students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Illinois State University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 7 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #16 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,945 for illinois design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Full SIUC Design & Applied Arts Report

#7

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Dominican U is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 ’s design degrees to qualified students.

Dominican U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $19,268 for illinois design students whose families make more than $110k.

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 Dominican U Design & Applied Arts Report

#8

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Olivet Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $20,195 for Illinois Design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

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 Design & Applied Arts Report

#9

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Augustana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $23,874 for Illinois Design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Augustana.

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

#10

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Millikin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois design students whose families make more than $110k list, Millikin has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,331 for illinois design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Millikin University.

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.

Full Millikin University Design & Applied Arts Report

Trinity International University - Illinois ranked #11 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. TIU Illinois is located in Deerfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 ’s design degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois design students whose families make more than $110k list, TIU Illinois has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,204 for illinois design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Trinity International University - Illinois.

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 TIU Illinois

#12

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Elmhurst is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 7 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $21,485 for Illinois Design students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Elmhurst

#13

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $24,786 for illinois design students whose families make more than $110k.

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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at North Central College

#14

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $25,634 for illinois design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Bradley.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Bradley Design & Applied Arts Report

#15

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago ranked #15 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Columbia College Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 272 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $31,099 for illinois design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Columbia College Chicago.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Columbia College Chicago

#16

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Roosevelt University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 24 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt University is $22,749 for illinois design students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Roosevelt

#17

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 93 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul also took the #9 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $30,090 for Illinois Design students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at DePaul

#18

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #18. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 3 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $24,664 for Illinois Design students whose families make more than $110k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Northwestern University

#19

American Academy of Art

Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. American Academy of Art is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 27 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

The Academy also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend American Academy of Art is $28,106 for Illinois Design students whose families make more than $110k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full The Academy Design & Applied Arts Report

#20

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 12 ’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola University Chicago is $35,407 for Illinois Design students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Loyola Chicago

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ranked #21 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend School of the Art Institute of Chicago is $44,815 for illinois design students whose families make more than $110k.

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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago Design & Applied Arts 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.

Featured Performing Arts Schools

Find Schools Near You