Best Art and Design colleges in Illinois
Why a degree in arts and design?
Art & Design is tough. Really tough. It is a constant competition to design something better. It is "thinking outside the box" so many times you've decided to forget the box altogether. Not to mention you will become a master at thriving with little to no sleep and develop thick skin from enduring brutal critiques.
How to prepare for an arts and design degrees
So, why put yourself through this? Passion. When you put everything into a project and it’s ripped apart, you get more coffee, improve the design, and come back with an even greater masterpiece.
But if passion alone isn’t enough, how about this. Median salaries for the top 10 design careers surpassed $50,000*. Art & design jobs are also expected to increase by 7% over the next eight years*. With higher salaries than most majors and plenty of career avenues, art & design graduates are cashing in on their passions. Graduating from an art & design program is a difficult and competitive feat. But if you can do it, you will create a growing career where your computer battery is your only limit.
*PayScale Salary Survey data*Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Best Art and Design colleges in Illinois for 2021
Northwestern University offers 53 Art and Design degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2019, 490 Art and Design students graduated with students earning 247 Master's degrees, 217 Bachelor's degrees, and 26 Doctoral degrees.
Columbia College Chicago offers 40 Art and Design degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2019, 1,073 Art and Design students graduated with students earning 1,015 Bachelor's degrees, 56 Master's degrees, and 2 Certificates.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago offers 9 Art and Design degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2019, 827 Art and Design students graduated with students earning 598 Bachelor's degrees, 214 Master's degrees, and 15 Certificates.
Roosevelt University offers 32 Art and Design degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2019, 162 Art and Design students graduated with students earning 88 Master's degrees, 67 Bachelor's degrees, and 7 Certificates.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers 25 Art and Design degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a small city. In 2019, 289 Art and Design students graduated with students earning 160 Bachelor's degrees, 73 Master's degrees, 54 Doctoral degrees, and 2 Certificates.
DePaul University offers 26 Art and Design degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2019, 472 Art and Design students graduated with students earning 341 Bachelor's degrees, 126 Master's degrees, and 5 Certificates.
Illinois State University offers 11 Art and Design degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a midsize suburb. In 2019, 205 Art and Design students graduated with students earning 152 Bachelor's degrees, and 53 Master's degrees.
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale offers 10 Art and Design degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a small city. In 2019, 148 Art and Design students graduated with students earning 122 Bachelor's degrees, 25 Master's degrees, and 1 Associate's degree.
University of Illinois at Chicago offers 20 Art and Design degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2019, 136 Art and Design students graduated with students earning 116 Bachelor's degrees, and 20 Master's degrees.
University of Chicago offers 9 Art and Design degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2019, 82 Art and Design students graduated with students earning 62 Bachelor's degrees, 19 Doctoral degrees, and 1 Master's degree.
List of all Art and Design colleges in Illinois
| School | Average Tuition | Student Teacher Ratio | Enrolled Students | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Northwestern University Evanston, IL | 15 : 1 | 22,448 | |
|
Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL | 27 : 1 | 6,947 | |
|
School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | 21 : 1 | 3,682 | |
|
Roosevelt University Chicago, IL | 21 : 1 | 4,071 | |
|
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | 22 : 1 | 51,605 | |
|
DePaul University Chicago, IL | 25 : 1 | 22,064 | |
|
Illinois State University Normal, IL | 23 : 1 | 20,878 | |
|
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL | 18 : 1 | 11,695 | |
|
University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL | 19 : 1 | 32,324 | |
|
University of Chicago Chicago, IL | 12 : 1 | 17,452 | |
|
Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL | 21 : 1 | 16,609 | |
|
Millikin University Decatur, IL | 14 : 1 | 2,083 | |
|
College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL | 87 : 1 | 23,903 | |
|
City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College Chicago, IL | 37 : 1 | 2,410 | |
|
Bradley University Peoria, IL | 17 : 1 | 5,929 | |
|
College of Lake County Grayslake, IL | 68 : 1 | 13,743 | |
|
Kaskaskia College Centralia, IL | 47 : 1 | 3,248 | |
|
Western Illinois University Macomb, IL | 16 : 1 | 7,624 | |
|
William Rainey Harper College Palatine, IL | 67 : 1 | 13,477 | |
|
Rend Lake College Ina, IL | 42 : 1 | 2,287 | |