2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois
Finding the Best Drama & Theater Arts School for You
In 2020-2021, 855 degrees and certificates were awarded to drama and theater arts students who went to a Illinois college or university. This makes it the #47 most popular major in the state.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois ranking. This report analyzed 18 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois
The colleges and universities below are the best for theater majors pursuing a .
Top 10 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools
Our analysis found Northwestern University to be the best school for drama and theater arts students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston.
After completing their degree, theater graduates from Northwestern carry an average student debtload of $16,333.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Northwestern University
Request Information
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a great place for drama and theater arts students. UIUC is a very large public school located in the small city of Champaign.
On average, theater graduates from UIUC take out $21,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois list. Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Theater majors at Illinois State take out an average of $24,853 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Illinois State University
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend North Central College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois list. Located in the medium-sized city of Naperville, North Central is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Theater majors at North Central take out an average of $24,420 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Drama & Theater Arts at North Central College Report
Request Information
The excellent programs at Eastern Illinois University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best drama and theater arts schools in Illinois. EIU is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Charleston.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Eastern Illinois University
Request Information
Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best drama and theater arts programs. Located in the city of Bloomington, Illinois Wesleyan is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, theater majors at Illinois Wesleyan accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Full Drama & Theater Arts at Illinois Wesleyan University Report
Request Information
With a ranking of #7, Millikin University did quite well on this year’s best schools for drama and theater arts students. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Decatur.
The average amount in student loans that theater majors at Millikin take out is $27,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $430.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Millikin University
Request Information
Roosevelt University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for drama and theater arts students. It came in at #8 on the list. Roosevelt is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.
The average amount in student loans that theater majors at Roosevelt take out is $27,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $803, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Roosevelt University
Request Information
Bradley University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for drama and theater arts students. It came in at #9 on the list. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Peoria.
Full Drama & Theater Arts at Bradley University Report
Request Information
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best drama and theater arts programs. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Theater majors at SIUE take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Request InformationBest Drama & Theater Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Drama & Theater Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 364 |
| Ohio | 523 |
| Indiana | 315 |
| Wisconsin | 259 |
More Drama & Theater Arts Rankings in Illinois
Rankings in Majors Related to Theater
One of 10 majors within the area of study, drama and theater arts has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 37,413 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 36,301 |
| Music | 25,910 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 16,778 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 6,355 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 18 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Donald Judge.
.jpg){kind=link}
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.