2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in Illinois (With Aid)
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking.
Drama & Theater Arts is the 59th most popular major in the country with 18,124 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the drama and theater arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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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 Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.
Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in Illinois (With Aid)
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 #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. UIUC 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 also took the #3 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Urbana-Champaign Drama & Theater Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid list, SIUE has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Drama & Theater Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. UIC is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 25 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid list, UIC has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
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%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Illinois at Chicago
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 22 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
NIU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Illinois State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 71 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid list, Illinois State has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
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
Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid list, SIUC has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
WIU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Western Illinois University
Northwestern University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 93 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $24,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Northwestern.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Millikin University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.
Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,331 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Millikin 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.
North Park University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Park University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
North Park not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend North Park University is $19,170 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
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.
Augustana College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid 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.
Augustana also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $23,874 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Bradley University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bradley University is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 9 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $25,634 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Bradley.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
With a ranking of #14, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Elmhurst is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 4 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Elmhurst also took the #18 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $21,485 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.
North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. North Central College is a small school located in Naperville, Illinois that handed out 15 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
North Central also took the #14 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $24,786 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Roosevelt University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Roosevelt is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 51 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid list, Roosevelt has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt is $22,749 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Lake Forest College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Lake Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
Lake Forest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest is $26,426 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.
Knox College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Knox is located in Galesburg, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
Knox also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $22,292 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Knox College.
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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Columbia College Chicago came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 157 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid list, Columbia has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $31,099 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Bloomington, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid list, Illinois Wesleyan has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan University is $26,039 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Illinois Wesleyan University
With a ranking of #21, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $27,315 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
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. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
DePaul University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $30,090 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students with aid per year to attend DePaul.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at DePaul University
Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $35,407 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Loyola Chicago.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about 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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Donald Judge.
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