2024 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois
19
Ranked Colleges
1,585
Degrees Awarded
$22,500
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 37,413 people earned their degree in fine & studio arts, making the major the 31st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, fine & 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 Illinois, there were 1,585 fine & studio arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,018 and $26,776 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in fine & studio arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great fine & 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 & studio arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Fine & Studio Arts Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 in Illinois
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in Illinois
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #1 on our 2024 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,830 for illinois fine arts students.
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
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 52 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for Illinois Fine Arts students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
Full UIUC Fine & Studio Arts Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #3 spot on the list. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students list, EIU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $13,098 for Illinois Fine Arts students.
Full Eastern Illinois University Fine & Studio Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois. NIU is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 81 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
NIU also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $13,956 for illinois fine arts students per year to attend Northern Illinois University.
Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Northern Illinois University
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #5 spot on the list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SIUE also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,462 for illinois fine arts students.
Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at SIUE
With a ranking of #6, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UIC also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,214 for Illinois Fine Arts students.
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%.
Full University of Illinois at Chicago Fine & Studio Arts Report
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 47 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students list, SIUC has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,285 for illinois fine arts students.
The undergraduate 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 Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #8. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students list, WIU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $15,305 for illinois fine arts students.
Full Western Illinois University Fine & Studio Arts Report
Columbia College Chicago came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 32 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students list, Columbia has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $26,258 for Illinois Fine Arts students per year to attend Columbia College Chicago.
Full Columbia College Chicago Fine & Studio Arts Report
Bradley University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #10. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 7 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,196 for illinois fine arts students per year to attend Bradley.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 87%.
Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Bradley
With a ranking of #11, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois list. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 14 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Wheaton College Illinois also took the #8 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $25,692 for Illinois Fine Arts students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Wheaton College Illinois
American Academy of Art ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 7 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at The Academy, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The Academy is $28,554 for Illinois Fine Arts students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full The Academy Fine & Studio Arts Report
Millikin University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois list. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
Millikin also took the #12 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $19,135 for illinois fine arts students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Millikin University Fine & Studio Arts Report
Olivet Nazarene University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois ranking. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene University is $19,470 for illinois fine arts students.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Olivet Nazarene University
North Central College landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois ranking. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.
North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $25,199 for illinois fine arts students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full North Central College Fine & Studio Arts Report
DePaul University landed the #16 spot on the 2024 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $31,174 for illinois fine arts students per year to attend DePaul.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at DePaul
Loyola University Chicago landed the #17 spot on the 2024 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois ranking. Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our illinois fine arts students list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $36,434 for Illinois Fine Arts students per year to attend Loyola University Chicago.
The low undergrad 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 freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Loyola Chicago Fine & Studio Arts Report
School of the Art Institute of Chicago did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois ranking, coming in at #18. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 708 students in 2020-2021.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago also took the #4 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend School of the Art Institute of Chicago is $45,909 for Illinois Fine Arts students.
The impressive undergraduate 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.
Full School of the Art Institute of Chicago Fine & Studio Arts Report
With a ranking of #19, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in Illinois list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 24 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $23,279 for Illinois Fine Arts students per year to attend Northwestern.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at Northwestern University
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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
- *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.
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