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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

112 Ranked Colleges
3,805 Degrees Awarded
$7,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 39,860 people earned their degree in fine and studio arts, making the major the 29th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, fine and studio arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $23,847 and had an average of $28,316 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 4,696 fine and studio arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $23,555 and $28,974 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,805 fine and studio 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 For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 112 colleges that offered a degree in fine and studio arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great fine and studio arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the fine and studio 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.

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 the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $1,866 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Northwestern University

Out of the 112 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 152 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, U-M has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $3,166 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Out of the 112 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 82 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,367 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, 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 95%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Fine & Studio Arts Report

#4

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k 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 21 students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #6 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $2,712 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UChicago.

The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at UChicago

#5

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 16 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also took the #1 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $12,498 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at University of Notre Dame

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 36 degrees to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national 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 & Studio Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#7

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington also took the #15 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $4,969 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Fine & Studio Arts Report

#8

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus 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 For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Purdue

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to 111 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,194 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about Fine & Studio Arts at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#10

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

UW - La Crosse also took the #11 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $7,939 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Fine & Studio Arts Report

#11

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University 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 For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Michigan State Fine & Studio Arts Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,052 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at IUPUI

#13

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

With a ranking of #13, Ball State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ball State is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 103 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Ball State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $8,403 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Ball State University

#14

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $11,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at UW - Whitewater

#15

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $11,528 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.

Full UW - Eau Claire Fine & Studio Arts Report

#16

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 43 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $11,446 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at UW - Stevens Point

#17

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. USI is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 55 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend USI is $8,244 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 USI Fine & Studio Arts Report

#18

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College 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 For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oberlin, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Oberlin is $9,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Oberlin College

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 35 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Fine & Studio Arts Report

#20

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #20, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,117 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Platteville.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at UW - Platteville

University of Wisconsin - Parkside came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $6,652 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UW - Parkside Fine & Studio Arts Report

#22

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #22, Beloit College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Beloit College is $8,574 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 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 & Studio Arts at Beloit

#23

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #23, University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $10,695 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stout Fine & Studio Arts Report

#24

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Grand Valley State University is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 65 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GVSU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,578 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Grand Valley State University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#25

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ferris is $7,207 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Ferris

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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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