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2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

15 Ranked Colleges
826 Degrees Awarded
$22,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 15 colleges that offer a degree in fine arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great fine arts programs and cost less that 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Fine Arts Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine Arts in Illinois (With Aid)

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid 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 made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid.

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.

Read more about Fine Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. 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.

UIC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 more about Fine Arts at University of Illinois at Chicago

#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 Getting Aid list. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 48 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid.

Full NIU Fine Arts Report

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

SIUE also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid.

Read full report on Fine Arts at SIUE

#5

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 6 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid list, Illinois State has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid.

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

Read full report on Fine Arts at Illinois State

#9 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid.

Full SIUC Fine Arts Report

#7

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Western Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid.

Read more about Fine Arts at Western Illinois University

#8

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Millikin University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Millikin University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin also took the #11 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,331 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend Millikin University.

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 Millikin Fine Arts Report

#9

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Dominican University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Dominican U is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also took the #14 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $19,268 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid.

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 Dominican University Fine Arts Report

#10

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Augustana College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid list, Augustana has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $23,874 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend Augustana.

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%. 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 Fine Arts at Augustana College

#11

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Bradley University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Peoria, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley University is $25,634 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid.

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 more about Fine Arts at Bradley University

#12

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Knox College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Knox College is located in Galesburg, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

Knox also took the #15 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Knox is $22,292 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Knox Fine Arts Report

#13

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Columbia College Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Chicago is $31,099 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid.

Full Columbia 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 Getting Aid list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 10 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. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola University Chicago is $35,407 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid.

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%.

Full Loyola Chicago Fine Arts Report

#3 in overall quality

School of the Art Institute of Chicago ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Chicago, 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 617 students in 2019-2020.

School of the Art Institute of Chicago also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend School of the Art Institute of Chicago is $44,815 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid.

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 full report on 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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