2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking.
In 2019-2020, 18,124 people earned their degree in drama and theater arts, making the major the 59th most popular in the United States. 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.
This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 23 colleges that offered a degree in drama and theater arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great drama and theater arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the drama and theater arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
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 “Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid”.
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.
Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois theater students with aid.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in Illinois (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 48 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2019-2020.
UIUC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for Illinois Theater students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 14 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois theater students with aid list, SIUE has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,423 for illinois theater students with aid per year to attend SIUE.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 5 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
EIU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for Illinois Theater students with aid.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Eastern Illinois University
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 25 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
UIC also took the #19 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,312 for illinois theater students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.
NIU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,259 for Illinois Theater students with aid.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Northern Illinois University
Illinois State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 78 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for Illinois Theater students with aid.
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%.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for illinois theater students with aid.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
With a ranking of #8, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 118 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $24,664 for illinois theater students with aid.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Northwestern University
Western Illinois University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 14 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
WIU also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $16,210 for illinois theater students with aid per year to attend WIU.
Millikin University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Millikin University is located in Decatur, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,331 for Illinois Theater students with aid per year to attend Millikin 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.
North Park University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. North Park is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
North Park also took the #17 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Park University is $19,170 for illinois theater students with aid.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at North Park University
Augustana College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Augustana is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $23,874 for Illinois Theater students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Bradley is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,634 for Illinois Theater students with aid per year to attend Bradley University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Elmhurst University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Elmhurst is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois theater students with aid list, Elmhurst has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $21,485 for illinois theater students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. North Central is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
North Central also took the #13 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $24,786 for Illinois Theater students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Roosevelt University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Roosevelt University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 59 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt is $22,749 for Illinois Theater students with aid.
Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 5 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Lake Forest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $26,426 for Illinois Theater students with aid per year to attend Lake Forest College.
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%.
Knox College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Knox is a small school located in Galesburg, Illinois that handed out 3 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Knox also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Knox College is $22,292 for illinois theater students with aid.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.
Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Columbia is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 169 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $31,099 for illinois theater students with aid.
Illinois Wesleyan University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomington, Illinois. It awarded 25 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois Wesleyan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $26,039 for illinois theater students with aid per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan University.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
University of Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $27,315 for illinois theater students with aid.
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. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.
DePaul University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 90 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend DePaul University is $30,090 for Illinois Theater students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Loyola University Chicago ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola University Chicago is $35,407 for illinois theater students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
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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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