by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for theater arts students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 354 bachelor's degrees in theater arts during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The theater bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality theater program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for theater arts students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Theater Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in theater arts.
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in theater arts has to check out Northwestern University. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from Northwestern University
Columbia College Chicago is a wonderful option for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in theater arts. Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from Columbia College Chicago
DePaul University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in theater arts. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from DePaul University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a wonderful decision for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in theater arts. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
UIC is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from University of Illinois at Chicago
Millikin is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Decatur.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from Millikin University
Located in the small city of Bloomington, Illinois Wesleyan is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from Illinois Wesleyan University
Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from Illinois State University
Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from Loyola University Chicago
NIU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Dekalb.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from Northern Illinois University
Explore all the Best Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
Theater Arts is one of 11 different types of Drama & Theater Arts programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Acting | 129 |
| Musical Theater | 105 |
| Theater Design & Technology | 63 |
| Comedy Writing and Performance | 44 |
| Theatre and Dance | 17 |
| Directing & Theatrical Production | 8 |
| Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft | 7 |
| Playwriting & Screenwriting | 4 |
| Theatre Literature, History & Criticism | 3 |
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