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Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

13 Colleges
$32,741 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, visual and performing arts students earned 5,502 degrees and certificates from an Illinois school, making the subject the 10th in the state.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. 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 Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 13 schools in Illinois to see which master's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for visual and performing arts majors pursuing a master's degree.

Top 10 Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools

#1

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL

Our analysis found Eastern Illinois University to be the best school for visual and performing arts students who want to pursue a master’s degree in Illinois. Located in the distant town of Charleston, EIU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Eastern Illinois University Report

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Out of the 13 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Northwestern University Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Western Illinois University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Western Illinois University Report

The excellent master’s degree programs at Illinois State University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best visual and performing arts schools in Illinois. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the suburb of Normal.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Illinois State University Report

With a ranking of #6, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students working on their master’s degree. UIC is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago.

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#7

Roosevelt University

Chicago, IL

Roosevelt University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree visual and performing arts programs. Located in the large city of Chicago, Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree visual and performing arts programs. SIUC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Carbondale.

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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for visual and performing arts students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. SIUE is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Northern Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb.

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Best Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Indiana 2,306
Michigan 3,433
Ohio 4,641
Wisconsin 2,248

Visual & Performing Arts Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 37,413
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
Arts & Media Management 4,788
Dance 3,288
Other Visual Art 912
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 119
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art 10

Majors Similar to Visual & Performing Arts

Related Major Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 556,813
English Language & Literature 54,635
Foreign Languages & Linguistics 33,333
Theology & Religious Vocations 27,459
Philosophy & Religious Studies 19,993

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 13 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 Bonnielou2013.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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