Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago

Chicago, Illinois, United States · Est. 1916 · Private (for-profit)

Former for-profit art and culinary school in Chicago, active 1916–2018.

  • Founded in 1916 as The Commercial Art School, one of the first applied art and design colleges in the US
  • For-profit institution owned by Education Management Corporation (1995–2017), then Dream Center Education
  • Permanently closed at end of 2018 due to declining enrollment and accreditation issues
  • Offered Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Arts, and Associate degrees in creative and culinary disciplines
  • Full-time enrollment declined from 2,250 students (2009) to 970 (2016)
  • Located in Chicago, Illinois with urban campus

Academics

The Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago offered Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Digital Media Production, Fashion Design, Game Art & Design, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, Interactive Media Design, Digital Photography, Visual Communications, and Visual Effects & Motion Graphics. Bachelor of Arts degrees were available in Fashion Marketing & Management and Advertising. A Bachelor of Applied Science in Culinary Management and Associate of Applied Science degrees in Culinary Arts, Fashion Merchandising, Interactive Media Production, and Graphic Design were also offered. The school focused on four creative industries: fashion, interior design, culinary arts, and media arts.

History & Ownership

Originally founded in 1916 as The Commercial Art School, the institution evolved through several names including Ray School and Ray–Vogue School before joining The Art Institutes system in 1995. Education Management Corporation owned the school from 1995 until 2017, when it was sold to Dream Center Education, a Los Angeles-based Pentecostal organization facing significant financial challenges. Dream Center permanently closed the Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago at the end of 2018 as part of a broader closure of 18 Art Institute schools.

Accreditation & Closure

The school achieved regional re-accreditation by The Higher Learning Commission in 2008 but was placed "On Notice" in 2015. Following the 2017 sale to Dream Center Education, the institution lost HLC accreditation, transitioning from "Accredited" to "Candidate" status in 2018. The Interior Design BFA program was accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, and the Culinary Arts AAS program was accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the American Culinary Federation.

Founded
1916
Type
Private (for-profit)
Courses
15
Total intake
Not yet verified
AffiliationThe Art Institutes (Education Management Corporation 1995–2017; Dream Center Education 2017–2018)
Websitehttps://www.artinstitutes.edu/chicago
HousingNot available
Some details are still being verified.

Quick stats

Courses offered
15
Avg career outcomes
Not yet verified
Total intake
Not yet verified
Housing
No
Data last verified June 2026 · compiled from official sources