2022 Best Value Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in Illinois (With Aid)
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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
This year’s “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 34 colleges that offered a degree in visual and performing arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality visual and performing arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in Illinois (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Elgin Community College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Elgin, Illinois, and it awarded 25 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $4,185 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid per year to attend ECC.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Elgin Community College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 385 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,880 for illinois visual & performing arts students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 92 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,607 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.
Full Eastern Illinois University Visual & Performing Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 174 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
UIC also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $13,312 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid per year to attend UIC.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Illinois at Chicago
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 94 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for illinois visual & performing arts students with aid.
Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 182 degrees to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.
NIU also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.
Western Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 91 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,210 for illinois visual & performing arts students with aid per year to attend WIU.
Northeastern Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 46 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Northeastern Illinois University
Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 329 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois visual & performing arts students with aid list, Illinois State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,895 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid per year to attend Illinois State University.
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%.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 120 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.
Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Visual & Performing Arts Report
North Park University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. North Park is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.
North Park did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,170 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid per year to attend North Park.
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.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at North Park University
Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 386 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $24,664 for illinois visual & performing arts students with aid per year to attend Northwestern University.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. University of St Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $17,538 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid per year to attend University of St Francis.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Saint Francis
Millikin University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 94 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Millikin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $21,331 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.
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.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Millikin University
Olivet Nazarene University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.
Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,195 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Dominican University is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $19,268 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.
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 full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Dominican University
Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Tech is $22,831 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Illinois Institute of Technology
Elmhurst University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 50 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.
Elmhurst also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $21,485 for illinois visual & performing arts students with aid.
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%.
Wheaton College Illinois ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for illinois visual & performing arts students with aid.
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. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Wheaton College Illinois
With a ranking of #20, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 41 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $23,874 for illinois visual & performing arts students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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 85%.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Augustana College
Bradley University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bradley is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 95 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $25,634 for illinois visual & performing arts students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Trinity International University - Illinois ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. TIU Illinois is located in Deerfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for TIU Illinois is $21,204 for illinois visual & performing arts students with aid.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Trinity International University - Illinois Visual & Performing Arts Report
Lake Forest College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 27 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois visual & performing arts students with aid list, Lake Forest has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $26,426 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid per year to attend Lake Forest College.
The low 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%.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Lake Forest College
North Central College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. North Central College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Naperville, Illinois. It awarded 52 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central College is $24,786 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at North Central College
Knox College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Knox is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 25 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Knox is $22,292 for Illinois Visual & Performing Arts students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
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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 Bonnielou2013.
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