2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Illinois

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Illinois” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 associate degree level specifically, there were 168 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,469 and $14,548 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Illinois” ranking analyzed 2 colleges that offered a degree in design and applied arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great design and applied arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Value Design Schools for an Associate in Illinois”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to 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 an Associate in Illinois

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Illinois.

Top 2 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in Illinois

#1

Elgin Community College

Elgin, Illinois

#1 in overall quality

$4,185 Average Net Price

$29,685 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 2 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Illinois 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 11 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

ECC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $4,185 for Illinois Associate Degree Design students per year to attend ECC.

Full Elgin Community College Design & Applied Arts Report

#2

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

#2 in overall quality

$22,749 Average Net Price

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Roosevelt University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in Illinois list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associates’s design degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $22,749 for illinois associate degree design students per year to attend Roosevelt.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Roosevelt University

• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Great Lakes Region
• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts

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

Request Info

Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More >