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Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region

2023 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region

91 Colleges
$24,359 Avg Salary
$26,991 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Fine & Studio Arts School for You

Out of all the majors we analyze each year, fine and studio arts was ranked #32 in the country. In fact 37,413 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

The Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 91 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Check out the Fine Arts programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 15% Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools

#1

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

Our 2023 rankings named University of Notre Dame the best school in the Great Lakes Region for fine and studio arts students. Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. U-M is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor.

Fine Arts majors at U-M take out an average of $18,875 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $354, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Out of the 91 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Evanston.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public school with a very large student population.

On average, Fine Arts graduates from Illinois State take out $20,750 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $303, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Fine & Studio Arts at Illinois State University Report

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Madison is a very large public school located in the city of Madison.

After completing their degree, Fine Arts graduates from UW - Madison carry an average student debtload of $18,875.

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#6

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for fine and studio arts students. It came in at #6 on the list. EIU is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Charleston.

The average amount in student loans that Fine Arts majors at EIU take out is $23,200.

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University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best fine and studio arts programs. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school located in the city of Eau Claire.

After completing their degree, Fine Arts graduates from UW - Eau Claire carry an average student debtload of $24,312.

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#8

DePauw University

Greencastle, IN

DePauw University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for fine and studio arts students. It came in at #8 on the list. DePauw is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Greencastle.

Full Fine & Studio Arts at DePauw University Report

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University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the town of Whitewater, UW - Whitewater is a public college with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, Fine Arts graduates from UW - Whitewater carry an average student debtload of $27,000.

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Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Columbus.

Fine Arts majors at Ohio State take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $342.

Full Fine & Studio Arts at Ohio State University - Main Campus Report

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University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the distant town of Stevens Point, UW - Stevens Point is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that Fine Arts majors at UW - Stevens Point take out is $26,000.

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With a ranking of #12, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on this year’s best schools for fine and studio arts students. Located in the city of La Crosse, UW - La Crosse is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Full Fine & Studio Arts at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Report

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#13

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

Michigan State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that Fine Arts majors at Michigan State take out is $31,000.

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Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Fine & Studio Arts students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

Rank College Location
14 University of Wisconsin - Stout Menomonie, WI
15 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
16 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
17 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
18 University of Evansville Evansville, IN

Best Fine & Studio Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best fine and studio arts colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 729
Ohio 880
Illinois 1,584
Indiana 645
Wisconsin 585

More Fine & Studio Arts Rankings in the Great Lakes Region

Fine & Studio Arts is one of 10 different types of programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to Fine Arts

Related Major Annual Graduates
Design & Applied Arts 36,301
Music 25,910
Drama & Theater Arts 17,341
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 16,778
General Visual & Performing Arts 6,355

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jorge Royan.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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