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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in Illinois (With Aid)

18 Ranked Colleges
804 Degrees Awarded
$22,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Design & Applied Arts is the 34th most popular major in the country with 36,854 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Getting Aid” 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. 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 Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in Illinois (With Aid)

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 108 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 more about Design & Applied Arts at UIUC

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 68 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,312 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

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 University of Illinois at Chicago

#13 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Northeastern Illinois University landed the #3 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree design students with aid list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Northeastern Illinois University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree design students with aid list, SIUC has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at SIUC

#5

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 #5 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.

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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Illinois State

#6

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. River Forest, 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.

Dominican U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $19,268 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

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 University Design & Applied Arts Report

#7

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $20,195 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Olivet Nazarene University

#8

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

Millikin also took the #15 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,331 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend Millikin.

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 Millikin 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 Getting Aid ranking. Elmhurst University is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 7 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.

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 Design & Applied Arts Report

#10

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Augustana is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $23,874 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend Augustana College.

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 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 Augustana College Design & Applied Arts Report

#11

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Bradley University is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 37 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $25,634 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend Bradley.

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%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Bradley

Trinity International University - Illinois ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Trinity International University - Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Deerfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

TIU Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Trinity International University - Illinois is $21,204 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

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 Design & Applied Arts at TIU Illinois

#13

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Central is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $24,786 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

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 more about Design & Applied Arts at North Central

#14

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt also took the #18 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt University is $22,749 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Roosevelt

#15

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 272 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.

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 $31,099 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

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

#16

American Academy of Art

Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. American Academy of Art is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 27 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at The Academy, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $28,106 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend American Academy of Art.

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.

Full The Academy Design & Applied Arts Report

#17

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 85 students in 2019-2020.

DePaul also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $30,090 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid per year to attend DePaul University.

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

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 12 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Chicago is $35,407 for illinois bachelor’s degree design students with aid.

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%. 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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Loyola 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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