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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts

20 Ranked Colleges
5,631 Degrees Awarded
$30,800 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts

With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Visual & Performing Arts is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 10th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 149,215 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, visual and performing arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $26,700 and had an average of $25,051 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 5,631 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,194 and $25,846 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts” ranking analyzed 20 colleges that offered a degree in visual and performing arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality visual and performing arts programs as well as strong veteran support.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, 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

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Visual & Performing Arts Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts”.

Top 20 Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 353 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign supports 52,679 students, and 10 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 UIUC Veteran Student Life Report

2
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia College Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts. Columbia College Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 879 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying visual & performing arts list, Columbia has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 6,769 students enrolled at Columbia College Chicago, 140 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 98 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,151. During this same period, 25 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Columbia College Chicago does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Columbia]](/colleges/columbia-college-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

3

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 309 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 530 of the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State University were GI Bill® students, of which 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,997. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at Illinois State University]](/colleges/illinois-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 80 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 12,860 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 3 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,082. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 122 diplomas to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 11,366 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 190 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 33,518 students enrolled at UIC, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,878. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Illinois at Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

7
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts ranking. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 531 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, DePaul supports 21,922 students, and 528 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 367 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,957. During this same period, 101 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at DePaul]](/colleges/depaul-university/student-life/veterans/)

8
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts list. North Central is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 73 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

North Central also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 2,832 students enrolled at North Central, 46 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 32 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,214. To help with additional expenses, 15 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. North Central does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at North Central]](/colleges/north-central-college/student-life/veterans/)

9
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts ranking. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 116 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

EIU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 184 of the 8,626 students enrolled at EIU were GI Bill® students, of which 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,730. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

10

With a ranking of #10, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts list. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 188 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 16,769 students enrolled at Northern Illinois University, 480 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 207 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,822. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Read More…

11

Western Illinois University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts ranking. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 79 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

WIU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Western Illinois University supports 7,490 students, and 330 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 62 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,652. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Western Illinois University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at WIU]](/colleges/western-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

12
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts list. Chicago, 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 174 students in 2020-2021.

Roosevelt also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 4,680 students enrolled at Roosevelt, 95 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 43 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,071. In addition to receiving other benefits, 20 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Roosevelt]](/colleges/roosevelt-university/student-life/veterans/)

13
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts ranking, coming in at #13. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 68 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Loyola Chicago also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 261 of the 16,893 students enrolled at Loyola University Chicago were GI Bill® students, of which 165 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,263. To help with additional expenses, 78 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Loyola University Chicago does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Loyola Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

14
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 378 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 22,603 students enrolled at Northwestern University, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $399. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The impressive undergraduate 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Northwestern Veteran Student Life Report

15
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

With a ranking of #15, Bradley University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts list. Located in Peoria, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 89 degrees to qualified ’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

Bradley also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 5,855 students enrolled at Bradley, 96 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 61 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,498. In addition to receiving other benefits, 7 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Bradley does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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%.

Full Bradley University Veteran Student Life Report

16
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts list. Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying visual & performing arts list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene University, 57 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,334. During this same period, 11 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at Olivet Nazarene]](/colleges/olivet-nazarene-university/student-life/veterans/)

17

With a ranking of #17, School of the Art Institute of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts list. Chicago, 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 754 students in 2020-2021.

School of the Art Institute of Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 55 of the 3,132 students enrolled at School of the Art Institute of Chicago were GI Bill® students, of which 33 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,359. In addition to receiving other benefits, 16 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full School of the Art Institute of Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

18
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

Wheaton College Illinois also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Wheaton College Illinois supports 2,908 students, and 56 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 45 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,675. In addition to receiving other benefits, 29 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergraduate 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

19
Millikin crest
Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts ranking. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 114 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 1,982 students enrolled at Millikin, 24 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,013. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Read More…

20
The Academy crest
American Academy of Art
Chicago, Illinois

American Academy of Art came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Visual & Performing Arts ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 33 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The Academy also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 169 students enrolled at American Academy of Art, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergraduate 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 veteran student life at The Academy]](/colleges/american-academy-of-art/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

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