Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Fine & Studio Arts

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

28 Ranked Colleges
1,321 Degrees Awarded
$15,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Illinois 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 Illinois, there were 1,685 fine and studio arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $22,071 and $29,661 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,321 fine and studio 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 $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree in fine and studio arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality fine and studio 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 and studio arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Fine & Studio Arts Schools

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 $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. 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 $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois 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 Illinois

#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 Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 24 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $1,866 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Northwestern University

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 21 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $2,712 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UChicago.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. 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%.

Full University of Chicago Fine & Studio Arts Report

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at UIUC

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 35 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $8,055 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUE.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at SIUE

#5

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 84 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois State has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $14,470 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full Illinois State University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

With a ranking of #6, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 78 degrees to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at NIU

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,648 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at University of Illinois at Chicago

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. EIU is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $12,350 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Eastern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,658 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUC.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at SIUC

#10

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 21 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $13,942 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Western Illinois University

#11

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 15 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wheaton College Illinois, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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 90%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Fine & Studio Arts Report

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $14,816 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Northeastern Illinois University

#13

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $18,192 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lake Forest College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Lake Forest Fine & Studio Arts Report

#14

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 8 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin also took the #20 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Millikin University is $17,656 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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.

Full Millikin Fine & Studio Arts Report

#15

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Peoria, 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 10 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Bradley has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,205 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bradley.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national 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 & Studio Arts at Bradley

#16

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, North Park University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Park is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 19 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, North Park has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,808 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Park University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at North Park

#17

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $15,806 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Olivet Nazarene

#18

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bloomington, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan also took the #6 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan University is $18,570 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Illinois Wesleyan University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#19

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $16,903 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Elmhurst

#20

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $20,355 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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 & Studio Arts at Augustana College

#21

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Knox is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 12 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Knox College is $16,828 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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 & Studio Arts at Knox College

#22

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Dominican University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dominican University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also took the #25 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $17,060 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Dominican University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#23

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

North Central College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. North Central is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central also took the #22 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Central is $18,889 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at North Central

#24

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbia is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 23 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $27,120 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Columbia College Chicago

#25

American Academy of Art

Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for American Academy of Art is $23,987 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 American Academy of Art

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Fine Arts Schools

Find Schools Near You