College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

81 Ranked Colleges
4,583 Degrees Awarded
$7,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 37,413 people earned their degree in fine and studio arts, making the major the 31st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, fine and studio arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $25,051 and had an average of $25,492 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 4,583 fine and studio arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $24,359 and $26,991 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 81 colleges that offer 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.

More Ways to Rank Fine & Studio Arts Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Fine Arts Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

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

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 154 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $2,670 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 U-M

2
Northwestern crest
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 #2 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 24 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $245 for great lakes region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern University Fine & Studio Arts Report

3

Out of the 81 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools 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. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 222 students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #3 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at UW - Madison

4

Out of the 81 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 52 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $4,858 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 94%.

Full UIUC Fine & Studio Arts Report

5

Out of the 81 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #5 spot on the list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 83 students in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for great lakes region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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 91%.

Full IU Bloomington Fine & Studio Arts Report

6
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

With a ranking of #6, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 19 degrees to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $9,872 for great lakes region 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 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Notre Dame Fine & Studio Arts Report

7

With a ranking of #7, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 128 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ohio State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $7,068 for Great Lakes Region 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Ohio State University - Main Campus

8
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue also took the #13 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,995 for great lakes region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 undergraduate students.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Purdue University - Main Campus

9
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #9, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,927 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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 91%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Michigan State

10

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 113 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $7,026 for great lakes region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

11
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oberlin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oberlin, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Oberlin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin College is $8,756 for great lakes region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Oberlin College Fine & Studio Arts Report

12
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ball State is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 76 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ball State, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,273 for great lakes region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ball State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Ball State Fine & Studio Arts Report

13

With a ranking of #13, Sinclair Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sinclair Community College is a public institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 35 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Sinclair Community College is $3,594 for great lakes region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Sinclair Community College

14
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #14, Oakland University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 20 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,949 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Oakland Fine & Studio Arts Report

15
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ferris State University is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 23 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Ferris is $6,577 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Ferris Fine & Studio Arts Report

16

Indiana University - South Bend came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - South Bend is a small school located in South Bend, Indiana that handed out 19 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $5,504 for great lakes region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Indiana University - South Bend

17

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 38 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,047 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Fine & Studio Arts Report

18

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 10 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $7,517 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Wisconsin - La Crosse

19

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 106 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $13,783 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Illinois State University

20

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 44 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC also took the #24 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $10,549 for great lakes region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 UIC

21

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 145 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

UWM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,973 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

22

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,438 for great lakes region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

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

Full UW - River Falls Fine & Studio Arts Report

22

University of Southern Indiana landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USI is a public institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend USI is $7,815 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at University of Southern Indiana

24
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 73 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, EIU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $11,015 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full EIU Fine & Studio Arts Report

25
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana

DePauw University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Greencastle, Indiana, and it awarded 12 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

DePauw also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for DePauw is $19,503 for great lakes region fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 89%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at DePauw

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options