Ranking
Best Design and Applied Arts Colleges in Illinois 2026
36 Illinois colleges offering Design and Applied Arts, ranked by EduGradify value grade.
- Schools ranked
- 25
- Cheapest net price
- $2,835
- Top earnings 10y
- $91,885
- Public / Private
- 10 / 15
Trinity International University-Illinois
A+- ROI score
- 41.44
- Net price
- $2,835
- Earnings 10y
- $46,989
- Acceptance
- 100%
College of DuPage
A- ROI score
- 15.85
- Net price
- $7,401
- Earnings 10y
- $46,909
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
University of Illinois Chicago
A- ROI score
- 15.66
- Net price
- $10,974
- Earnings 10y
- $68,740
- Acceptance
- 77.4%
University of Chicago
A- ROI score
- 15.46
- Net price
- $14,860
- Earnings 10y
- $91,885
- Acceptance
- 4.5%
John A Logan College
A- ROI score
- 15.38
- Net price
- $5,541
- Earnings 10y
- $34,096
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
A- ROI score
- 14.12
- Net price
- $14,355
- Earnings 10y
- $81,054
- Acceptance
- 42.4%
John Wood Community College
A- ROI score
- 13.70
- Net price
- $7,050
- Earnings 10y
- $38,631
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Saint Xavier University
A- ROI score
- 13.37
- Net price
- $10,970
- Earnings 10y
- $58,656
- Acceptance
- 84.3%
Dominican University
A- ROI score
- 12.84
- Net price
- $11,745
- Earnings 10y
- $60,327
- Acceptance
- 90.3%
Parkland College
A- ROI score
- 11.90
- Net price
- $8,048
- Earnings 10y
- $38,320
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Illinois Institute of Technology
A- ROI score
- 11.21
- Net price
- $18,425
- Earnings 10y
- $82,592
- Acceptance
- 54.9%
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
B- ROI score
- 10.04
- Net price
- $13,297
- Earnings 10y
- $53,390
- Acceptance
- 86.9%
Waubonsee Community College
B- ROI score
- 9.79
- Net price
- $11,442
- Earnings 10y
- $44,788
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Lewis University
B- ROI score
- 9.70
- Net price
- $17,028
- Earnings 10y
- $66,099
- Acceptance
- 71.3%
Northeastern Illinois University
B- ROI score
- 9.26
- Net price
- $14,109
- Earnings 10y
- $52,234
- Acceptance
- 74.6%
Illinois State University
B- ROI score
- 8.01
- Net price
- $19,398
- Earnings 10y
- $62,117
- Acceptance
- 88.2%
Aurora University
B- ROI score
- 7.79
- Net price
- $18,838
- Earnings 10y
- $58,709
- Acceptance
- 80.9%
Northwestern University
B- ROI score
- 7.66
- Net price
- $29,167
- Earnings 10y
- $89,363
- Acceptance
- 7.7%
Judson University
B- ROI score
- 7.59
- Net price
- $18,558
- Earnings 10y
- $56,313
- Acceptance
- 47.6%
Eureka College
B- ROI score
- 7.44
- Net price
- $17,349
- Earnings 10y
- $51,641
- Acceptance
- 85%
Bradley University
C- ROI score
- 7.36
- Net price
- $22,719
- Earnings 10y
- $66,852
- Acceptance
- 76.8%
Concordia University-Chicago
C- ROI score
- 7.33
- Net price
- $18,436
- Earnings 10y
- $54,089
- Acceptance
- 92.8%
Trinity Christian College
C- ROI score
- 7.28
- Net price
- $19,125
- Earnings 10y
- $55,700
- Acceptance
- 84.9%
North Central College
C- ROI score
- 7.14
- Net price
- $21,044
- Earnings 10y
- $60,123
- Acceptance
- 77.3%
Benedictine University
C- ROI score
- 7.11
- Net price
- $22,313
- Earnings 10y
- $63,446
- Acceptance
- 95.2%
How we picked this list
This list starts with Illinois schools with positive Design and Applied Arts program-share evidence, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 11.78 (10 public, 15 private).
Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
Trinity International University-Illinois in Deerfield, IL tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by roi score using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.
How many Illinois colleges are in this list?
36 Illinois colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.
What does net price mean here?
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.