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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine Arts (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

15 Ranked Colleges
826 Degrees Awarded
$18,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 12,032 people earned their degree in fine arts, making the major the 67th most popular in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 1,068 fine arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 826 fine arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 15 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in fine arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality fine 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 fine arts program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine Arts (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,464 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full UIUC Fine Arts Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, SIUE has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $9,938 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SIUE.

Read more about Fine Arts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#3

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 6 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #1 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,999 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 full report on Fine Arts at Illinois State University

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 48 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, NIU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $15,861 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Northern Illinois University Fine Arts Report

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIC has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $11,185 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 UIC Fine Arts Report

#9 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 37 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $14,306 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#7

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Western Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 4 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $14,526 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Fine Arts at WIU

#8

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Knox College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Galesburg, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Knox not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,186 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Knox College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 Knox College Fine Arts Report

#9

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Millikin University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Millikin is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Millikin University is $17,692 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive 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.

Read more about Fine Arts at Millikin University

#10

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Dominican University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Dominican U is a small school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,586 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dominican U.

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.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Dominican U

#11

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Bradley University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bradley is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Bradley has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,232 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bradley.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Fine Arts at Bradley University

#12

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Augustana College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Augustana College is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 5 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $16,249 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 Fine Arts at Augustana College

#13

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia College Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

Columbia also took the #13 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $27,397 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia.

Read more about Fine Arts at Columbia College Chicago

#14

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola University Chicago is $29,788 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Loyola University Chicago Fine Arts Report

#3 in overall quality

School of the Art Institute of Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 617 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, School of the Art Institute of Chicago has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend School of the Art Institute of Chicago is $40,684 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

Read more about Fine Arts at School of the Art Institute of Chicago

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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jorge Royan.

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