2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Drama & Theater Arts is the 59th most popular major in the country with 18,124 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, drama and theater arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $21,403 and had an average of $26,932 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 844 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $21,300 and $27,875 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 739 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 23 colleges that offered a degree in drama and theater arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality drama and theater arts programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the drama and theater arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 93 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $1,866 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.
The low student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
UChicago also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,712 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.
UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $5,477 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
SIUE also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $8,055 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $14,470 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Illinois State University
With a ranking of #6, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $12,350 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Eastern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.
NIU also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $15,281 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Illinois University.
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $10,648 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.
The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Illinois at Chicago
Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,658 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUC.
With a ranking of #10, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $13,942 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #11, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bradley University is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $17,205 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.
Millikin also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Millikin is $17,656 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Lake Forest College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lake Forest College is located in Lake Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lake Forest, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,192 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lake Forest.
The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Augustana College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Augustana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Augustana also took the #9 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,355 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Augustana College.
The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Elmhurst University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Elmhurst University is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,903 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Elmhurst University.
The low student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
North Park University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
North Park not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,808 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Park University.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Bloomington, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Wesleyan, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan is $18,570 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Knox College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Knox College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 3 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Knox also took the #23 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,828 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Knox College.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Naperville, Illinois. It awarded 15 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,889 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Central.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at North Central College
Columbia College Chicago came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 157 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $27,120 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
Roosevelt University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 51 students in 2019-2020.
Roosevelt also took the #22 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt University is $20,398 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
DePaul also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul is $26,173 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Loyola University Chicago ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Chicago is $29,440 for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Loyola University Chicago
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Notes and References
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Donald Judge.
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