Best colleges for art and design in Illinois
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in art or design, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for art and design in Illinois47 schools
47 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Schools in Illinois.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in art or design, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 2
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 27%
- 3
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · PublicHonor Roll#3 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 4%
- 4
Wheaton College
Wheaton, IL · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#4 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 5
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL · Private nonprofit#5 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 6
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, IL · Private nonprofit#7 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 7
Knox College
Galesburg, IL · Private nonprofit#8 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 8
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitTop 13% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 9
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL · Private nonprofit#10 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B
- 10
Bradley University
Peoria, IL · Private nonprofitTop 13% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 47%
- 11
DePaul University
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitTop 16% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 12
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL · PublicTop 16% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 13
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, IL · Private nonprofitTop 21% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 43%
- 14
Lewis University
Romeoville, IL · Private nonprofitTop 18% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A- · Top 16%
- 15
North Central College
Naperville, IL · Private nonprofit#18 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 45%
- 16
Illinois State University
Normal, IL · PublicTop 24% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 26%
- 17
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, IL · Private nonprofit#21 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 47%
- 18Tie
Monmouth College
Monmouth, IL · Private nonprofit#22 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B
- 18Tie
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, IL · Private nonprofit#22 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 20
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitTop 25% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 21Tie
Aurora University
Aurora, IL · Private nonprofit#25 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 29%
- 21Tie
Judson University
Elgin, IL · Private nonprofit#25 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 44%
- 23
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL · Public#27 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 21%
- 24
University of Illinois Springfield
Springfield, IL · PublicTop 15% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 6%
- 25
Illinois College
Jacksonville, IL · Private nonprofit#29 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Chicago | About $15,000 | $15,000 | $91,885 | 96% |
| Northwestern University | About $29,000 | $15,000 | $89,363 | 95% |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | About $14,000 | $19,500 | $81,054 | 85% |
| Wheaton College | About $27,000 | $23,250 | $63,756 | 85% |
| Lake Forest College | About $29,000 | $26,158 | $61,825 | 78% |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | About $28,000 | $27,000 | $70,871 | 75% |
| Knox College | About $25,000 | $27,000 | $54,820 | 68% |
| Loyola University Chicago | About $36,000 | $24,157 | $71,530 | 73% |
| Augustana College | About $23,000 | $27,000 | $62,971 | 73% |
| Bradley University | About $23,000 | $27,000 | $66,852 | 76% |
| DePaul University | About $31,000 | $23,168 | $68,751 | 68% |
| University of Illinois Chicago | About $11,000 | $16,704 | $68,740 | 62% |
| Elmhurst University | About $24,000 | $20,489 | $61,462 | 70% |
| Lewis University | About $17,000 | $21,500 | $66,099 | 67% |
| North Central College | About $21,000 | $24,500 | $60,123 | 64% |
| Illinois State University | About $19,000 | $20,482 | $62,117 | 65% |
| Trinity Christian College | About $19,000 | $25,009 | $55,700 | 58% |
| Monmouth College | About $17,000 | $27,000 | $51,110 | 65% |
| Olivet Nazarene University | About $21,000 | $25,000 | $53,213 | 61% |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | About $50,000 | $27,000 | $40,151 | 67% |
| Aurora University | About $19,000 | $20,318 | $58,709 | 60% |
| Judson University | About $19,000 | $25,000 | $56,313 | 60% |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | About $15,000 | $20,500 | $56,346 | 57% |
| University of Illinois Springfield | About $10,000 | $19,128 | $57,103 | 53% |
| Illinois College | About $18,000 | $25,565 | $52,575 | 64% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- Alabama 19
- Alaska 3
- Arizona 8
- Arkansas 17
- California 75
- Colorado 15
- Connecticut 21
- Delaware 3
- District of Columbia 7
- Florida 29
- Georgia 32
- Hawaii 5
- Idaho 6
- Indiana 36
- Iowa 24
- Kansas 21
- Kentucky 22
- Louisiana 16
- Maine 13
- Maryland 20
- Massachusetts 44
- Michigan 30
- Minnesota 30
- Mississippi 7
- Missouri 32
- Montana 7
- Nebraska 15
- Nevada 4
- New Hampshire 8
- New Jersey 26
- New Mexico 6
- New York 85
- North Carolina 39
- North Dakota 5
- Ohio 59
- Oklahoma 15
- Oregon 14
- Pennsylvania 74
- Puerto Rico 17
- Rhode Island 9
- South Carolina 25
- South Dakota 9
- Tennessee 27
- Texas 54
- Utah 8
- Vermont 8
- Virginia 33
- Washington 16
- West Virginia 11
- Wisconsin 29