Design and Applied Arts programs in Illinois
49 schools in Illinois teach this, at certificate or associate level. 1 of them reports what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $20,921 at Elgin Community College.
What this work pays in Illinois
Graphic Designers in Illinois earn a median of $62,560 a year across 8,960 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.
| Also leads to | Median | Jobs in Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | $62,960 | 4,170 |
| Art Directors | $103,550 | 2,960 |
| Interior Designers | $76,290 | 2,570 |
| Photographers | $36,570 | 2,150 |
| Web and Digital Interface Designers | $85,710 | 2,050 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elgin Community College Elgin | Associate's degree | — | $20,921 (20 grads) | 7 |
| College of DuPage Glen Ellyn | Associate's degree | $11,750 | not published | 52 |
| Rasmussen University-Illinois Rockford | Associate's degree | $23,820 | not published | 1 |
| Roosevelt University Chicago | Associate's degree | $13,417 | not published | 1 |
| Black Hawk College Moline | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Black Hawk College Moline | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| College of DuPage Glen Ellyn | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 29 |
| College of Lake County Grayslake | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 14 |
| Elgin Community College Elgin | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 6 |
| Highland Community College Freeport | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Highland Community College Freeport | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Illinois Central College East Peoria | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Illinois Central College East Peoria | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Illinois Valley Community College Oglesby | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Illinois Valley Community College Oglesby | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| John A Logan College Carterville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| John A Logan College Carterville | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| John Wood Community College Quincy | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| Joliet Junior College Joliet | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 12 |
| Joliet Junior College Joliet | Associate's degree | — | not published | 21 |
| Judson University Elgin | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Lewis and Clark Community College Godfrey | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Lincoln Land Community College Springfield | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Lincoln Land Community College Springfield | Associate's degree | — | not published | 6 |
| McHenry County College Crystal Lake | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 4 |
| McHenry County College Crystal Lake | Associate's degree | — | not published | 3 |
| Millikin University Decatur | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Moraine Valley Community College Palos Hills | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 15 |
| Moraine Valley Community College Palos Hills | Associate's degree | — | not published | 11 |
| Oakton College Des Plaines | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Oakton College Des Plaines | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Parkland College Champaign | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Parkland College Champaign | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| Prairie State College Chicago Heights | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Prairie State College Chicago Heights | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Rasmussen University-Illinois Rockford | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Rend Lake College Ina | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Rend Lake College Ina | Associate's degree | — | not published | 2 |
| Richland Community College Decatur | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| Sauk Valley Community College Dixon | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 26 |
| South Suburban College South Holland | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| South Suburban College South Holland | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Triton College River Grove | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 4 |
| Triton College River Grove | Associate's degree | — | not published | 18 |
| Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| William Rainey Harper College Palatine | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 14 |
| William Rainey Harper College Palatine | Associate's degree | — | not published | 29 |
A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.
Email me when these figures change
The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Design and Applied Arts — nothing else, and nothing in between.
Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.