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2026 Best Value Art Therapy/Therapist Schools in Illinois

[Art Therapy/Therapist](/majors/health-care-professions/rehab-and-therapeutic-professions/art-therapy-therapist/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong art therapy/therapist education at a price that pays off.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for art therapy/therapist students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Art Therapy/Therapist Schools in Illinois

2026 Best Value Art Therapy/Therapist Schools in Illinois

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the art therapy/therapist degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Art Therapy/Therapist Schools

1

Lewis University
Romeoville, IL

$39,200 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,838 Avg Student Debt

$66,099 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in art therapy/therapist, no school beat Lewis University this year. Located in the suburb of Romeoville, Lewis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $39,200. Art Therapy/therapist graduates carry a median of $24,838 in student loans. Art Therapy/therapist graduates of Lewis University earn a median of $55,718 early in their careers. Set against $24,838 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Lewis University admits about 71% of applicants.

2

School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago
Chicago, IL

$54,623 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$40,151 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago one of the best values for art therapy/therapist. Set in the city of Chicago, School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $54,623. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the art therapy/therapist program here. Early-career art therapy/therapist graduates make about $49,062. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.

View All Art Therapy/Therapist Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.