---

2026 Best Value Illustration Schools in Missouri

[Illustration](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/illustration/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong illustration education at a price that pays off.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for illustration students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Illustration Schools in Missouri

2026 Best Value Illustration Schools in Missouri

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in illustration, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Illustration Schools

1

Webster University
Saint Louis, MO

$31,750 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,550 Avg Student Debt

$50,876 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in illustration, no school beat Webster University this year. Set in the suburb of Saint Louis, Webster University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $31,750 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,550 to complete the illustration program here. Early-career illustration graduates make about $20,257. Set against $25,550 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.

2

Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City, MO

$44,550 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$37,032 Median Earnings (10yr)

Kansas City Art Institute is a great value for students pursuing a degree in illustration, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Kansas City, Kansas City Art Institute is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $44,550. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the illustration program here. Early-career illustration graduates make about $29,513. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 55%.

View All Illustration Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced 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 · 2 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.