2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 the Great Lakes Region” 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 the Great Lakes region, there were 4,696 fine and studio arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $23,555 and $28,974 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,805 fine and studio arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 112 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
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 the Great Lakes Region”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 112 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 24 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,580 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Eau Claire, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Fine & Studio Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.
Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Fine & Studio Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. 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.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.
Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Out of the 112 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.
UW - Stout also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stout is $15,839 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at University of Wisconsin - Stout
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 43 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Fine & Studio Arts Report
With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $15,718 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.
Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 24 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,607 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.
With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.
Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
Illinois State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 84 degrees to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Northern Illinois University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 78 degrees to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students per year to attend NIU.
Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Northern Illinois University
University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 29 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 ranking of #13, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $16,210 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students per year to attend Western Illinois University.
Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Western Illinois University
Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Green Bay, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Fine & Studio Arts Report
Youngstown State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Youngstown, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $11,947 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.
Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Youngstown State University
With a ranking of #17, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.
Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Fine & Studio Arts Report
University of Wisconsin - Parkside came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Parkside is a public institution located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UW - Parkside is $11,327 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.
Ferris State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Ferris State University is located in Big Rapids, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Ferris State University is $12,889 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UWM is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 126 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.
UWM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students per year to attend UWM.
With a ranking of #21, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Southern Indiana is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 55 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend USI is $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.
The low student loan default rate of 5.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at University of Southern Indiana
Western Michigan University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 36 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s Fine Arts students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.
Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Western Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large school located in Ypsilanti, Michigan that handed out 36 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students.
With a ranking of #24, Northern Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Northern Michigan University is located in Marquette, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Northern Michigan University is $15,453 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students.
Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Northern Michigan University
Northeastern Illinois University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s Fine Arts degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,843 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree fine arts students per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.
Full Northeastern Illinois University Fine & Studio Arts Report
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Jorge Royan.
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