2025 Best Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region
38
Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
1,437
Theater Degrees Awarded
If you pursue a degree in
theater arts, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #70 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 38 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,437 degrees in theater arts annually.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Theater Arts School
The theater program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Theater Arts rankings. We derive our Best Overall Theater Arts School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Theater Arts Rankings by Degree Level
The theater school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
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.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for Theater Arts in the Great Lakes Region
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the theater degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Theater
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In IL
104
Theater Degrees Awarded
Every student pursuing a degree in theater arts has to check out Northwestern University. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were roughly 104 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Northwestern University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In IN
68
Theater Degrees Awarded
University of Notre Dame is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in theater arts. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.
There were about 68 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from University of Notre Dame
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In MI
32
Theater Degrees Awarded
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in theater arts. U-M is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.
There were about 32 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
8th
Most Popular In IL
Every student who is interested in theater arts has to look into Columbia College Chicago. Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. This college ranks 9th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were roughly 13 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Columbia College Chicago
Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.
There were about 18 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from DePaul University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In OH
UC is a very large public university located in the large city of Cincinnati. This university ranks 6th out of 91 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.
There were approximately 19 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In WI
32
Theater Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.
There were roughly 32 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In OH
31
Theater Degrees Awarded
Kent State is a very large public university located in the suburb of Kent. This university ranks 9th out of 91 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.
There were roughly 31 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Kent State in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Kent State University at Kent
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In IN
IU Bloomington is a very large public university located in the city of Bloomington. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.
There were approximately 28 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Indiana University - Bloomington
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In OH
Ohio State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Columbus. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.
There were approximately 22 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Ohio State University - Main Campus
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