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2024 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois

20 Colleges in Illinois
1,585 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,018 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #31 in popularity, fine & studio arts is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 20 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,585 degrees in fine & studio arts during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Fine & Studio Arts School

Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois Your choice of fine & studio arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Fine & Studio Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Fine & Studio Arts Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Fine Arts
Master's Degrees in Fine Arts
Doctor's Degrees in Fine Arts

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Fine & Studio Arts in Illinois

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the fine arts degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Illinois Schools in Fine Arts

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In IL

It is difficult to beat Northwestern University if you want to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 24 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In IL
52 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded

Any student pursuing a degree in fine & studio arts needs to check out University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 52 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
708 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$25,538 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat School of the Art Institute of Chicago if you wish to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

There were approximately 708 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program state that they receive average early career income of $25,538.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from School of the Art Institute of Chicago

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
106 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
12.3% Growth in Graduates

Illinois State University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in fine & studio arts. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #231 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 106 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the fine & studio arts degree program at Illinois State University earn $6,501 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Illinois State University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
81 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,020 Median Starting Salary

NIU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Dekalb. This university ranks 24th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 81 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program state that they receive average early career earnings of $26,020.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Northern Illinois University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
2.3% Growth in Graduates

UIC is a very large public university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 44 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program state that they receive average early career wages of $23,247.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Illinois at Chicago

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
28th Most Popular In IL

Located in the midsize city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #309 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Bradley is a great university overall.

There were about 7 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Bradley in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Bradley University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
18.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #370 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great college overall.

There were roughly 32 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program state that they receive average early career wages of $24,822.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Columbia College Chicago

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
8.2% Growth in Graduates

EIU is a moderately-sized public university located in the distant town of Charleston. This university ranks 51st out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 73 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at EIU in the most recent data year. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from Eastern Illinois University receive an earnings boost of about $12,126 above the average income of fine & studio arts majors.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Eastern Illinois University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
10.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 47 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at SIUC in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the fine arts program earn an average of $26,354 for their early career.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Best Fine & Studio Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Fine & Studio Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 729
Ohio 314 880
Indiana 294 645
Wisconsin 273 584

View All Rankings >

Fine & Studio Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Fine Arts Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Fine Arts 1,017
Art Studies 397
Art History 137
Intermedia/Multimedia 16
Painting 14
Sculpture 2
Drawing 1
Other Fine Arts & Art Studies 1

View All Fine Arts Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Music 1,138
Design & Applied Arts 1,084
Drama & Theater Arts 857
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 538
Arts & Media Management 259
Other Visual Art 67
General Visual & Performing Arts 64
Dance 37
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 2

View All Fine Arts Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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