by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 17,341 people earned their degree in drama and theater arts, making the major the 59th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, drama and theater arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $23,190 and had an average of $23,522 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 857 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $22,223 and $24,226 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 746 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,117 and $25,584 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 38 colleges that offered a degree in drama and theater arts. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in drama and theater arts.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree theater students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia College Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Columbia College Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 148 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 98 students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 62 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at DePaul University
Out of the 38 schools in the Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Millikin University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s. Millikin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate 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.
Roosevelt University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
North Central College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Naperville, Illinois. It awarded 39 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Northern Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 37 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Northern Illinois University
With a ranking of #9, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 33 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 94%.
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Chicago Drama & Theater Arts Report
Loyola University Chicago landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #11, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Illinois Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomington, Illinois. It awarded 16 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Illinois Wesleyan University
Bradley University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad 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%.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #16, Augustana College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Augustana College is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, 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 85%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Augustana College
Knox College ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Knox College is a small school located in Galesburg, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Western Illinois University ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Western Illinois University
With a ranking of #19, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Eastern Illinois University
Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #20. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Concordia University, Chicago Drama & Theater Arts Report
Principia College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Elsah, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #22, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Elmhurst University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Elmhurst is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Lincoln College ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Lincoln College is located in Lincoln, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
With a ranking of #24, Eureka College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Eureka, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2020-2021.
Aurora University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Aurora, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Aurora University
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
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