Best Art History Schools Near Springfield, IL (2026)

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

Springfield, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering art history programs, with tuition ranging from $57,903 to $68,134 per year for indexed programs. Springfield has a population of about 113,714. Median household income is $65,537 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning art history-related role is Writers and Authors at a median $68,220 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Art History Schools to Springfield

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer art history programs near Springfield, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Springfield 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 Springfield. 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

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL 78.9 miles from Springfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
90.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $81,054
Avg net price $14,355/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 177

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Knox College

Galesburg, IL 89.4 miles from Springfield
  • 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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#3

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL 128.5 miles from Springfield
  • 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

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 156.4 miles from Springfield
  • 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

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#5

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL 176.0 miles from Springfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
93.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $91,885
Avg net price $14,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 105

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL 179.0 miles from Springfield
  • 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

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#7

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL 179.9 miles from Springfield
  • 4 year
24.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,195
Avg net price $26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, IL 180.2 miles from Springfield
  • 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 Springfield

Springfield is part of the Springfield, IL metro area (BLS area code 44100). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Curators $63,060 IL statewide $68,026
Archivists $59,340 IL statewide $64,013
Museum Technicians and Conservators $56,720 IL statewide $61,187
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators $53,850 IL statewide $58,091
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary $62,960 IL statewide $67,918
Writers and Authors $68,220 IL statewide $73,592
Graphic Designers $55,220 Springfield, IL $59,569
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $65,090 Springfield, IL $70,216

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.

Springfield at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 113,714 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $65,537 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 35.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Springfield-Area Cities With Art History Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering art history programs near Springfield. The closest is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, IL (78.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Knox College (89.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying art history roles near Springfield?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying art history-related roles near Springfield are: Writers and Authors ($68,220), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($65,090), Curators ($63,060). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Jacksonville instead of Springfield?

Jacksonville, IL is 30.9 miles from Springfield 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 Springfield an affordable place to study art history?

Springfield’s median household income of $65,537 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Springfield 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 Springfield

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

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)