2027 Best Value Acting Schools in Illinois
[Acting](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/drama-and-theater-arts/acting/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for acting students.
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2027 Best Value Acting Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the acting degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Acting Schools
Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Chicago, our #1 best value for acting in Illinois. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,949, compared with $32,009 for out-of-state students. Acting graduates carry a median of $21,238 in student loans. Acting graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of $14,938 early in their careers. Set against $21,238 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Roosevelt University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value acting schools. Located in the city of Chicago, Roosevelt University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,315. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the acting program here. Acting graduates of Roosevelt University earn a median of $21,001 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 97%.
A rank of #3 makes Millikin University one of the best values for acting. Located in the city of Decatur, Millikin University is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $26,792. Acting graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, acting degree recipients from Millikin University generally make around $24,013. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 67% of applicants are accepted.
Columbia College Chicago is a great value for students pursuing a degree in acting, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,088. Typical student debt for acting graduates is $26,977. Acting graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn a median of $17,929 early in their careers. Set against $26,977 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Illinois Wesleyan University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value acting schools. Set in the city of Bloomington, Illinois Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $57,704. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the acting program here. Early-career acting graduates make about $19,490. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Illinois Wesleyan University admits about 39% of applicants.
Northwestern University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value acting schools. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,322. Students borrow a median of $17,000 to complete the acting program here. Early-career acting graduates make about $78,551. Set against $17,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
Depaul University landed the #7 spot for acting value this year. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,405. Typical student debt for acting graduates is $26,348. Acting graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $23,592 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
- 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
