Best Art History Schools Near Freeport, IL (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Freeport, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering art history programs, with tuition ranging from $36,658 to $70,655 per year for indexed programs. Freeport has a population of about 23,636. Median household income is $48,181 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning art history-related role is Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists at a median $79,120 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Art History Schools to Freeport

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer art history programs near Freeport, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Freeport city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Freeport. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 50.9 miles from Freeport
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,808
Avg net price $13,391/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL 71.9 miles from Freeport
  • 4 year
62.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,971
Avg net price $22,736/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL 92.5 miles from Freeport
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
59.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 57%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,825
Avg net price $28,673/yr
Tuition
In‑state$56,402
Out‑of‑state$56,402
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Knox College

Galesburg, IL 100.5 miles from Freeport
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
54.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,820
Avg net price $24,595/yr
Tuition
In‑state$57,903
Out‑of‑state$57,903
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 101.5 miles from Freeport
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,363
Avg net price $29,167/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 167

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL 103.3 miles from Freeport
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,530
Avg net price $36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL 105.8 miles from Freeport
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,740
Avg net price $10,974/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 140

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, IL 106.8 miles from Freeport
  • 4 year
36.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,151
Avg net price $49,790/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois art history page.

Art History Wages Near Freeport

Occupation Median Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide)
Curators $63,060
Archivists $59,340
Museum Technicians and Conservators $56,720
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators $53,850
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary $62,960
Writers and Authors $68,220
Graphic Designers $62,560
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $79,120

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Freeport at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 23,636 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $48,181 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 20.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Freeport-Area Cities With Art History Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited art history schools are near Freeport, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering art history programs near Freeport. The closest is Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, IL (50.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lake Forest College (92.5 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying art history roles in Illinois?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying art history-related roles in Illinois are: Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($79,120), Writers and Authors ($68,220), Curators ($63,060). Wages for Freeport workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Rockford instead of Freeport?

Rockford, IL is 29.3 miles from Freeport and has its own set of local art history programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Freeport an affordable place to study art history?

Freeport’s median household income of $48,181 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Freeport while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Art History Programs

Other Programs Available in Freeport

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Freeport:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Art History Schools in Illinois: Online Programs (2026)