2022 Best Value Colleges for Theater Arts in Illinois (With Aid)
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2019-2020, 11,561 people earned their degree in theater arts, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States.
Across Illinois, there were 479 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer 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.
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 theater arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
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. 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 in Illinois For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois theater students with aid.
Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Theater Arts in Illinois (With Aid)
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 48 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,880 for illinois theater students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Theater Arts Report
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 14 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUE also took the #7 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for illinois theater students with aid.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 5 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois theater students with aid list, EIU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,607 for Illinois Theater students with aid per year to attend EIU.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UIC also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $13,312 for illinois theater students with aid per year to attend UIC.
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%.
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Illinois Theater students with aid.
Illinois State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for illinois 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%.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois theater students with aid list, SIUC has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,945 for Illinois Theater students with aid per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Read more about Theater Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 104 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $24,664 for Illinois Theater students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.
Western Illinois University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. WIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 14 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
WIU also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $16,210 for illinois theater students with aid.
With a ranking of #10, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 30 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 Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Millikin is $21,331 for illinois theater students with aid.
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 came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 2 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
North Park also took the #16 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Park is $19,170 for illinois theater students with aid.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.
Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $23,874 for Illinois Theater students with aid per year to attend Augustana College.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 5 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Bradley also took the #5 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $25,634 for Illinois Theater students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 ranking of #14, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Elmhurst is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois theater students with aid list, Elmhurst has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $21,485 for illinois theater students with aid.
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%.
With a ranking of #15, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois theater students with aid list, North Central has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $24,786 for illinois 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%.
Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Lake Forest is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Lake Forest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest is $26,426 for Illinois 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 did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Galesburg, Illinois, and it awarded 3 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois theater students with aid list, Knox has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Knox College is $22,292 for Illinois Theater students with aid.
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%. 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.
Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois theater students with aid list, Columbia has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Chicago is $31,099 for Illinois Theater students with aid.
Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Bloomington, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2019-2020.
Illinois Wesleyan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $26,039 for illinois theater students with aid per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan University.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read more about Theater Arts at Illinois Wesleyan University
DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $30,090 for Illinois Theater students with aid 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%.
Loyola University Chicago came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 27 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Loyola Chicago also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $35,407 for illinois theater students with aid per year to attend Loyola Chicago.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
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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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