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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

31 Ranked Colleges
4,393 Degrees Awarded
$14,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

Visual & Performing Arts is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 10th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 155,377 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 Illinois, there were 5,876 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $24,817 and $32,020 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,393 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 31 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Visual & Performing 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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

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.

Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 220 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $3,995 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 58 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $2,800 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Chicago.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at UChicago

#2 in overall quality

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 #3 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 257 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,464 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Visual & Performing Arts Report

#16 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

SIUE also took the #16 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $9,938 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

EIU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $11,316 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at EIU

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 137 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #12 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,861 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at NIU

#19 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 146 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #19 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,185 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Visual & Performing Arts Report

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Illinois State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 279 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Illinois State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,999 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#9

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Western Illinois University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,526 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend WIU.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Western Illinois University

#25 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 103 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #25 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,306 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#24 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,513 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Visual & Performing Arts Report

#12

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $16,212 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Wheaton College Illinois

#13

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of St Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 10 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of St Francis is $11,229 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 St Francis Visual & Performing Arts Report

#14

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Knox College is a small school located in Galesburg, Illinois that handed out 25 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Knox is $19,186 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Knox College

#15

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Lake Forest College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest is $19,152 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Lake Forest

#16

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

North Park University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. North Park University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Park did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend North Park is $17,270 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at North Park

#17

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene also took the #20 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene is $15,390 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Olivet Nazarene University

#18

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 93 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,692 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Millikin.

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.

Full Millikin Visual & Performing Arts Report

#19

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Elmhurst University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 50 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also took the #21 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,837 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Elmhurst University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Elmhurst University Visual & Performing Arts Report

#20

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 33 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,586 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dominican University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Dominican University Visual & Performing Arts Report

#21

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Bradley University is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 89 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

Bradley also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $18,232 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bradley.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Bradley University Visual & Performing Arts Report

#22

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,249 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Augustana College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Augustana College

#23

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bloomington, Illinois 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 43 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,857 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Illinois Wesleyan Visual & Performing Arts Report

#24

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

North Central College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Naperville, Illinois, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central also took the #23 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $20,128 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at North Central College

Trinity International University - Illinois came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. TIU Illinois is a small school located in Deerfield, Illinois that handed out 14 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,693 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend TIU Illinois.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Trinity International University - Illinois

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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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