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Featured Illustration Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
2026 Best Value Illustration Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the illustration degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Illustration Schools
Our analysis ranked Columbia College Chicago the best value for a degree in illustration in Illinois. Set in the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $34,088 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for illustration graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, illustration degree recipients from Columbia College Chicago generally make around $29,630. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Columbia College Chicago admits about 90% of applicants.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 1 school evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
ADBLOCK #116
[Illustration](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/illustration/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
