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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

9 Ranked Colleges
101 Degrees Awarded
$22,000 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Master's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 18,124 people earned their degree in drama and theater arts, making the major the 59th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, drama and theater arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $21,403 and had an average of $26,932 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 844 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $21,300 and $27,875 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 101 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,267 and $46,814 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 9 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality drama and theater arts programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the drama and theater arts program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 9 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Northwestern

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIUC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083.

Full UIUC Drama & Theater Arts Report

#3

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 2 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northern Illinois University are $11,086, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Northern Illinois University

#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 3 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #7 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SIUC are $32,928, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at SIUC

#5

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 7 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #4 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois State are $11,069.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Illinois State

#6

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 6 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Western Illinois University are $11,996, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at WIU

#7

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified masters’s theater students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Roosevelt University are $21,605, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Roosevelt University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#8

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 masters’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Columbia also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $2,350, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Columbia Drama & Theater Arts Report

#9

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s theater degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

DePaul also took the #3 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul University are $19,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full DePaul University Drama & Theater Arts Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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