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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois

28 Ranked Colleges
768 Degrees Awarded
$31,678 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Design & Applied Arts is the 36th most popular major in the country with 36,301 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, design and applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,426 and had an average of $25,481 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 1,084 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,103 and $26,512 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 768 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,117 and $25,584 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois” ranking analyzed 28 colleges that offered a degree in design and applied arts. That schools that top this list have a program in design and applied arts in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree design students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in Illinois

1
The Academy crest
American Academy of Art
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 28 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, American Academy of Art landed the #1 spot on the list. The Academy is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate 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.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at American Academy of Art

2
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 28 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia College Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Columbia is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 271 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Columbia Design & Applied Arts Report

3
Eureka College crest
Eureka College
Eureka, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eureka College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois. Eureka College is located in Eureka, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Eureka College

4
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bradley University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Bradley

5
Quincy U crest
Quincy University
Quincy, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Quincy University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois. Quincy U is located in Quincy, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Quincy University

6
Judson crest
Judson University
Elgin, Illinois

Judson University ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. Judson is located in Elgin, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Judson Design & Applied Arts Report

7
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #7. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 16 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Augustana College

8
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #8. North Central is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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

9
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, Dominican University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. Dominican University is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Dominican University Design & Applied Arts Report

10
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois 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 77 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul Design & Applied Arts Report

11
Elmhurst crest
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking. Elmhurst is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Elmhurst University

12
Trinity Christian crest
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, Trinity Christian College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. Trinity Christian is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Palos Heights, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Trinity Christian College Design & Applied Arts Report

13

Trinity International University - Illinois ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. 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 3 students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate 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 TIU Illinois Design & Applied Arts Report

14

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 UIC

15

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 105 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Full UIUC Design & Applied Arts Report

16
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Olivet Nazarene University

17
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking. Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Roosevelt

18
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking. Lewis University is located in Romeoville, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Lewis University

19
Illinois State crest
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Illinois State

20
Millikin crest
Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Millikin University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. Millikin University is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Millikin

21
Benedictine U crest
Benedictine University
Lisle, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Benedictine University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. Located in Lisle, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Benedictine University

22
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Aurora

23

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois 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 2020-2021.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Northeastern Illinois University

24
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois ranking. This medium-sized school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Design & Applied Arts Report

25
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #25, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Design Major in Illinois list. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 14 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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 85%.

Full Loyola University Chicago Design & Applied Arts Report

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