2025 Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois
10
Colleges in Illinois
500
Theater Degrees Awarded
Theater Arts is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #70 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.
College Factual looked at 10 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Theater Arts Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 500 degrees in theater arts annually.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Theater Arts School
Your choice of theater arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Theater Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Pick Your Theater Arts 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 Illinois.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
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.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
Best Schools for Theater Arts in Illinois
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the theater degree levels they offer.
10 Top Illinois Schools in Theater
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In IL
104
Theater Degrees Awarded
It's difficult to beat Northwestern University if you want to pursue a degree in theater arts. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were approximately 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
8th
Most Popular In IL
It's difficult to beat Columbia College Chicago if you want to pursue a degree in theater arts. Columbia is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the city of Chicago. 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 year we have data available.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Columbia College Chicago
Any student pursuing a degree in theater arts needs to take a look at DePaul University. DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.
There were approximately 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
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In IL
61
Theater Degrees Awarded
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in theater arts. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.
There were approximately 61 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 15 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from University of Illinois at Chicago
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In IL
Located in the city of Decatur, Millikin is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 40th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 27 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Millikin in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Millikin University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
23rd
Most Popular In IL
Illinois Wesleyan is a small private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Bloomington. This university ranks 18th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 2 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Illinois Wesleyan in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Illinois Wesleyan University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In IL
82
Theater Degrees Awarded
Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the midsize suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.
There were about 82 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Illinois State University
Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.
There were approximately 28 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Loyola University Chicago
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In IL
51
Theater Degrees Awarded
Located in the suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 20th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 51 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Northern Illinois University
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