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2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

21 Ranked Colleges
434 Degrees Awarded
$16,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

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 $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Theater Arts is the 69th most popular major in the country with 11,561 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Illinois, there were 479 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 434 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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree in theater arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality 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 theater arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. 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 Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Theater Arts (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 93 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $3,995 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Northwestern

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $8,464 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

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

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $9,938 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read full report on Theater Arts at SIUE

#4

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, EIU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $11,316 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Full EIU Theater Arts Report

#5

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

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 Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 71 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,999 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Illinois State Theater Arts Report

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $15,861 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Read more about Theater Arts at NIU

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIC has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,185 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Theater Arts at UIC

#19 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,306 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SIUC.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Theater Arts Report

#9

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $14,526 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full WIU Theater Arts Report

#10

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Knox College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Knox also took the #21 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Knox is $19,186 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 full report on Theater Arts at Knox College

#11

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Bradley University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bradley is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, Bradley has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $18,232 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Bradley University Theater Arts Report

#12

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lake Forest is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $19,152 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lake Forest College.

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%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Lake Forest

#13

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $17,692 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Millikin Theater Arts Report

#14

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, North Park University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

North Park did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend North Park University is $17,270 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

Read full report on Theater Arts at North Park University

#15

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Elmhurst is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $17,837 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Elmhurst

#16

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #8 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $16,249 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full Augustana College Theater Arts Report

#17

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. 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 7 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,857 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Illinois Wesleyan University

#18

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

North Central College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Naperville, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central also took the #13 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,128 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend North Central College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at North Central

#19

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

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 Making $30-$48k ranking. Columbia College Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $27,397 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia College Chicago.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Columbia

#20

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

DePaul University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. DePaul University is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 15 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, DePaul has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $25,842 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend DePaul University.

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 Theater Arts at DePaul

#21

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 27 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago also took the #4 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Chicago is $29,788 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Theater Arts at Loyola Chicago

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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