Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois

18 Colleges
$22,223 Avg Salary
$24,226 Avg Student Debt

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

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

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 small city of Evanston.

After completing their degree, theater graduates from Northwestern carry an average student debtload of $16,333.

Read More…

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois list. UIUC is a fairly 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.

Read More…

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois list. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a very large student population.

Theater majors at Illinois State take out an average of $24,853 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Drama & Theater Arts at Illinois State University Report

#4

North Central College

Naperville, IL

The excellent programs at North Central College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best drama and theater arts schools in Illinois. Located in the 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

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois list. EIU is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Charleston.

Full Drama & Theater Arts at Eastern Illinois University Report

#6

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, IL

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 school 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

#7

Millikin University

Decatur, IL

Millikin University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois ranking. 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.

Full Drama & Theater Arts at Millikin University Report

#8

Roosevelt University

Chicago, IL

With a ranking of #8, Roosevelt University did quite well on this year’s best schools for drama and theater arts students. 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.

Full Drama & Theater Arts at Roosevelt University Report

#9

Bradley University

Peoria, IL

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 moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Peoria.

Full Drama & Theater Arts at Bradley University Report

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 college with a large student population.

Theater majors at SIUE take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Drama & Theater Arts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Report

Best 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

One of 10 majors within the area of study, drama and theater arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.