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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine Arts (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

15 Ranked Colleges
826 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

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 Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Fine Arts is the 67th most popular major in the country with 12,032 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 15 colleges that offer a degree in fine arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality fine arts programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the fine arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine Arts (Income $48-$75k) 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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 1 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $13,351 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Fine Arts at UIUC

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $13,705 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Fine Arts at SIUE

#3

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 #3 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 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 $48-$75k list, NIU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,346 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NIU.

Full NIU Fine Arts Report

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 25 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,683 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIC.

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%.

Full UIC Fine Arts Report

#5

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $19,080 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,985 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full SIUC Fine Arts Report

#7

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,912 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Full WIU Fine Arts Report

#8

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Millikin University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, Millikin has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Millikin is $20,390 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#9

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Augustana College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Augustana 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 is $21,453 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Augustana College Fine Arts Report

#10

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Knox College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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 also took the #15 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,653 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Knox College.

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. The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Knox College Fine Arts Report

#11

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Dominican University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $18,582 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on Fine Arts at Dominican U

#12

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley University is $22,865 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Full Bradley University Fine Arts Report

#13

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Chicago is $31,071 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Columbia College Chicago Fine Arts Report

#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 $48-$75k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $32,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Loyola University Chicago.

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 Loyola Chicago

#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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 617 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k 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 estimated yearly cost for School of the Art Institute of Chicago is $41,809 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full School of the Art Institute of Chicago Fine Arts Report

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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