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 $30-$48k

28 Ranked Colleges
1,321 Degrees Awarded
$15,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree in fine and studio arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent fine and studio arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the fine and studio arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Fine & Studio 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 Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $3,995 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Full Northwestern Fine & Studio Arts Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 21 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,800 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full UChicago 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 36 degrees to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #5 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $9,938 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 24 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, EIU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $11,316 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at EIU

#6

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 84 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $14,999 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois State University.

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

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Illinois State University

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,861 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Full NIU Fine & Studio Arts Report

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #12 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $11,185 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIC.

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 UIC

With a ranking of #9, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

SIUC also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,306 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SIUC Fine & Studio Arts Report

#10

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 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 estimated yearly cost for WIU is $14,526 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at WIU

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 24 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,513 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#12

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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Galesburg, Illinois, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Knox is $19,186 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 Knox College

#13

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. 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. It costs about $16,212 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

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. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Fine & Studio Arts Report

#14

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lake Forest College is located in Lake Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

Lake Forest also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $19,152 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Lake Forest

#15

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $15,390 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Olivet Nazarene University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#16

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

North Park University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. North Park University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 19 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

North Park also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $17,270 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend North Park University.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at North Park University

#17

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Millikin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $17,692 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Millikin.

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 Millikin University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#18

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. 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.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Dominican U has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,586 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dominican University.

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 more about Fine & Studio Arts at Dominican U

#19

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley University is $18,232 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Bradley University

#20

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Elmhurst University 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 $30-$48k ranking. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 degrees 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 $30-$48k 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 is $17,837 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Elmhurst University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#21

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bloomington, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees 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 $30-$48k list, Illinois Wesleyan has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan University is $19,857 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Full Illinois Wesleyan University Fine & Studio Arts Report

#22

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #21 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $16,249 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Augustana College

#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 $30-$48k ranking. North Central College 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $20,128 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Central College Fine & Studio Arts Report

#24

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Columbia College Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 23 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $27,397 for illinois bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia College Chicago.

Full Columbia Fine & Studio Arts Report

#25

American Academy of Art

Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. The Academy is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 12 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The Academy is $24,609 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

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