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2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

31 Ranked Colleges
4,393 Degrees Awarded
$21,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 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.

This year’s “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking looked at 31 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. 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” 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. 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

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in Illinois

#1

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 279 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

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%.

Full Illinois State University Visual & Performing Arts Report

#2

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. Charleston, 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 42 students in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.

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

#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. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 257 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

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 estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

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%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at UIUC

#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 list. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

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 $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.

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

#5

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 72 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.

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

#24 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 40 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern Illinois University, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.

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

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 137 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students list, NIU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

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

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,312 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students per year to attend UIC.

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%.

Full UIC Visual & Performing Arts Report

#25 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 103 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at SIUC

#10

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, North Park University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

North Park also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $19,170 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students per year to attend North Park.

The 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.

Full North Park University Visual & Performing Arts Report

#11

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Columbia is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 939 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Chicago is $31,099 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Columbia College Chicago

#12

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Bradley University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 89 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students list, Bradley has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley University is $25,634 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Bradley University

#13

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Wheaton, 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 41 students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also took the #4 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 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 Wheaton College Illinois Visual & Performing Arts Report

#14

American Academy of Art

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, American Academy of Art did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. American Academy of Art is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 41 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The Academy is $28,106 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at American Academy of Art

#15

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Olivet Nazarene University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It awarded 40 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene is $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.

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 full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Olivet Nazarene University

#16

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of St Francis is $17,538 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

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 Saint Francis Visual & Performing Arts Report

#17

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Dominican University 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 $19,268 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students per year to attend Dominican University.

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 Dominican U

With a ranking of #18, Trinity International University - Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Trinity International University - Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Deerfield, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Trinity International University - Illinois is $21,204 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 TIU Illinois

#19

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Elmhurst University is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 50 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Elmhurst University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Elmhurst

#20

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Roosevelt University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 96 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt is $22,749 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Roosevelt

#21

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Millikin University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Millikin University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 93 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,331 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students per year to attend Millikin.

The 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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at Millikin University

#22

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #22. North Central College is a small school located in Naperville, Illinois that handed out 52 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $24,786 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend North Central.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Central Visual & Performing Arts Report

#23

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Augustana College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Augustana is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

Augustana also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $23,874 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Augustana

#24

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #24. DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 365 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students list, DePaul has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $30,090 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at DePaul

#25

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 62 students in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola University Chicago is $35,407 for illinois bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.

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%. 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 Loyola Chicago

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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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