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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine Arts in the Great Lakes Region

54 Ranked Colleges
1,531 Degrees Awarded
$16,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.

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

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,989 fine arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,531 fine arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 54 colleges that offered 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the fine arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Fine Arts Schools

The fine arts school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine Arts in the Great Lakes Region

#20 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 #1 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

SIUE also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.

Full SIUE Fine Arts Report

#2

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a public institution located in Menomonie, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students list, UW - Stout has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $15,839 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at University of Wisconsin - Stout

#22 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 22 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.

Read full report on Fine Arts at UW Oshkosh

#4

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region 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.

Illinois State also took the #2 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.

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%.

Full Illinois State Fine Arts Report

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.

Full NIU Fine Arts Report

#6

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region 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.

It costs about $16,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Full Western Illinois University Fine Arts Report

#7

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $11,947 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.

Read more about Fine Arts at Youngstown State University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,945 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students per year to attend SIUC.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#9

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

With a ranking of #9, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. WMU is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students per year to attend WMU.

Read more about Fine Arts at Western Michigan University

#10

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Purdue University Fort Wayne is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Fort Wayne is $10,912 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.

Read more about Fine Arts at Purdue University Fort Wayne

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Bowling Green, Ohio, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,394 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.

Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Fine Arts Report

#12

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Purdue Fine Arts Report

#13

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, Indiana

Indiana State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Terre Haute, Indiana, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana State is $13,896 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Indiana State University

#14

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Mount Pleasant, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,981 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students per year to attend Central Michigan.

Read more about Fine Arts at Central Michigan

#12 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 46 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UC also took the #12 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $21,843 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UC Fine Arts Report

Kent State University at Kent landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,885 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students per year to attend Kent State.

Read more about Fine Arts at Kent State University at Kent

#17

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana University - South Bend is a small school located in South Bend, Indiana that handed out 15 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,717 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students per year to attend Indiana University - South Bend.

Full Indiana University - South Bend Fine Arts Report

University of Akron Main Campus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,792 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Fine Arts Report

#19

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $17,278 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.

Read more about Fine Arts at Cleveland State University

#20

Viterbo University

La Crosse, Wisconsin

Viterbo University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Viterbo is $19,992 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Viterbo University

#17 in overall quality

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students list, IUPUI has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $11,285 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.

Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Fine Arts Report

#22

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Saginaw Valley State University is located in University Center, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $14,248 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.

Full Saginaw Valley State University Fine Arts Report

Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a public institution located in Athens, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,906 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students per year to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Ohio University - Athens Campus

#21 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 25 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.

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 more about Fine Arts at University of Illinois at Chicago

#25

Shawnee State University

Portsmouth, Ohio

With a ranking of #25, Shawnee State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Shawnee State University is a public institution located in Portsmouth, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Shawnee State University is $16,320 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.

Read more about Fine Arts at Shawnee State University

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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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