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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

129 Ranked Colleges
13,882 Degrees Awarded
$7,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 155,377 visual and performing arts students received their degree, making the major the 10th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, visual and performing arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $25,427 and had an average of $28,377 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 20,124 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,485 and $27,728 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 13,882 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 129 colleges that offer a degree in visual and performing arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent visual and performing arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the visual and performing arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Visual & Performing Arts Schools

The visual & performing 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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. 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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 220 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $1,866 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Northwestern University

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 129 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 395 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $3,166 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Visual & Performing Arts Report

#3

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 129 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 58 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #6 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,712 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at UChicago

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 172 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,367 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Visual & Performing Arts Report

#5

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 147 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,498 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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 97%.

Full Notre Dame Visual & Performing Arts Report

#5 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 257 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#7

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#13 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 103 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Purdue has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Purdue Visual & Performing Arts Report

#8

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#20 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 380 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $4,969 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full IU Bloomington Visual & Performing Arts Report

#9

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#17 in overall quality

Michigan State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 235 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Michigan State

#10

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $7,939 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at UW - La Crosse

#22 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 240 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

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 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#12

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio
#10 in overall quality

Oberlin College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oberlin, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 214 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Oberlin has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oberlin.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Oberlin College Visual & Performing Arts Report

#13

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#24 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 114 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Visual & Performing Arts Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 112 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $5,052 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full IUPUI Visual & Performing Arts Report

#15

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#14 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 98 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Eau Claire, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $11,528 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Visual & Performing Arts Report

#16

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 148 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UW - Stevens Point Visual & Performing Arts Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#11 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stout came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and it awarded 194 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stout is $10,695 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 UW - Stout Visual & Performing Arts Report

#18

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Platteville has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,117 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#19

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 241 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $8,403 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Ball State University

#20

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

With a ranking of #20, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Southern Indiana is a fairly large school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 77 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Indiana is $8,244 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at USI

#21

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #21, Ferris State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 104 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ferris is $7,207 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Ferris

University of Wisconsin - Parkside came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school awarded 58 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $6,652 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at UW - Parkside

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 72 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at SIUE

#24

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Beloit is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Beloit, Wisconsin. It awarded 25 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,574 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Beloit College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 Visual & Performing Arts at Beloit

#25

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #25, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $11,337 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

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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.

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