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2023 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

12 Ranked Colleges
768 Degrees Awarded
$31,678 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor's

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 36,301 people earned their degree in design and applied arts, making the major the 36th most popular in the United States. 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 “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 12 colleges that offered a degree in design and applied arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent design and applied arts programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools 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.

Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s

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

Top 12 Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 105 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 10 of the 52,679 students enrolled at UIUC were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign/student-life/veterans/)

2
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia College Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s list. Columbia College Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 271 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying design list, Columbia has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, Columbia supports 6,769 students, and 140 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 98 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,151. On top of their other funding sources, 25 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

3

Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 66 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.According to our most recent data, UIC supports 33,518 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,878. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at UIC]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

4
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, DePaul University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 77 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2020-2021.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul, 528 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,957. To help with additional expenses, 101 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 DePaul University Veteran Student Life Report

5

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 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, Illinois State supports 20,720 students, and 530 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 163 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,997. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Illinois State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

6
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s ranking. 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 14 students in 2020-2021.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 2,832 students enrolled at North Central College, 46 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 32 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,214. To help with additional expenses, 15 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at North Central]](/colleges/north-central-college/student-life/veterans/)

7
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s list. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 14 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Loyola Chicago also took the #10 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 261 of the 16,893 students enrolled at Loyola Chicago were GI Bill® students, of which 165 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,263. During this same period, 78 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 full report on veteran student life at Loyola University Chicago]](/colleges/loyola-university-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

8
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 4,680 students enrolled at Roosevelt University, 95 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 43 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,071. In addition to receiving other benefits, 20 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Roosevelt University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Roosevelt University Veteran Student Life Report

9
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s ranking. Bradley University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 44 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

Bradley also took the #4 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 5,855 students enrolled at Bradley University, 96 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 61 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,498. To help with additional expenses, 7 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Bradley University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Bradley Veteran Student Life Report

10
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s ranking. Dominican University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 12 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying design list, Dominican U has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 3,189 students enrolled at Dominican University, 37 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 17 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,038. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Dominican U Veteran Student Life Report

11
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s ranking. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene, 57 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,334. On top of their other funding sources, 11 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at Olivet Nazarene]](/colleges/olivet-nazarene-university/student-life/veterans/)

12
The Academy crest
American Academy of Art
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, American Academy of Art did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Design for a Bachelor’s list. American Academy of Art is a small private for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 25 bachelors’s design degrees in 2020-2021.

The Academy not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 169 students enrolled at The Academy, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 veteran student life at American Academy of Art]](/colleges/american-academy-of-art/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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