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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

23 Ranked Colleges
739 Degrees Awarded
$20,100 Avg Salary
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 739 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 23 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $6,452 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $7,934 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UChicago.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Chicago

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,351 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIUC.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 14 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $13,705 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $13,560 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Eastern Illinois University

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 22 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,346 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full NIU Drama & Theater Arts Report

#7

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 71 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $19,080 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Illinois State University

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 25 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,683 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Drama & Theater Arts Report

#20 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,985 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SIUC.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Drama & Theater Arts Report

#10

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Millikin is located in Decatur, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k list, Millikin has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,390 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Millikin.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Millikin

#11

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Augustana College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k list, Augustana has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,453 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Augustana College.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Augustana College

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $15,912 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend WIU.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Western Illinois University

#13

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

North Park University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k list, North Park has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,813 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend North Park University.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full North Park Drama & Theater Arts Report

#14

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Lake Forest College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $24,683 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Lake Forest.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Lake Forest College Drama & Theater Arts Report

#15

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Elmhurst University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Elmhurst University is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $19,703 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Elmhurst University

#16

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bradley University is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 9 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley University is $22,865 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Bradley University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#17

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Knox College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 3 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Knox also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $19,653 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Knox.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 4.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Knox College

#18

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Naperville, Illinois. It awarded 15 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $23,353 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend North Central.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at North Central

#19

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Roosevelt is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 51 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt is $21,870 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Roosevelt University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#20

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 157 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also took the #15 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $31,071 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Columbia Drama & Theater Arts Report

#21

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul is $28,075 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at DePaul

#22

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Bloomington, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Wesleyan, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $23,309 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Illinois Wesleyan

#23

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 27 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola University Chicago is $32,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Loyola University Chicago

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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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