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2023 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

81 Ranked Colleges
4,583 Degrees Awarded
$14,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 81 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region fine arts students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 154 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

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 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at U-M

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,234 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at UW - Madison

3

Out of the 81 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 94%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4

Out of the 81 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #4 spot on the list. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 83 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $14,619 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Fine & Studio Arts Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 113 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $12,416 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

6
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Purdue 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 made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid.

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 more about Fine & Studio Arts at Purdue University - Main Campus

7

With a ranking of #7, Sinclair Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid 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 yearly cost to attend Sinclair Community College is $4,959 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students with aid.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Sinclair Community College

8

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 128 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region fine arts students with aid 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 $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students with aid.

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 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%.

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

9
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

With a ranking of #9, Ball State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ball State University is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 76 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region fine arts students with aid list, Ball State has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,765 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid per year to attend Ball State.

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%.

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

10

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. UWM is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 145 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UWM also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $17,486 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid per year to attend UWM.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Fine & Studio Arts Report

11

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 44 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,214 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 UIC

12
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 73 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region fine arts students with aid list, EIU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,098 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at EIU

13

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $13,346 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid.

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

14

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,654 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid.

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 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%.

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

15
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oakland University is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 20 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $13,449 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Oakland

16

Indiana University - South Bend ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - South Bend is a public institution located in South Bend, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $9,646 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid.

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

17

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 27 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $14,417 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

18

With a ranking of #18, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 106 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,830 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid per year to attend Illinois State University.

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 full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Illinois State University

19
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ivy Tech Community College is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,669 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend Ivy Tech Community College.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Ivy Tech Community College

20
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $19,058 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

21

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 26 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $14,687 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at UW Oshkosh

22

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $16,051 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at UW - Eau Claire

23
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #23, Ferris State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. 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 $12,213 for Great Lakes Region Fine Arts students with aid.

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

24

Youngstown State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 37 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $12,225 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid.

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

25

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this medium-sized public school awarded 51 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,481 for great lakes region fine arts students with aid per year to attend USI.

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 USI

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