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2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

16 Ranked Colleges
746 Degrees Awarded
$21,299 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor's

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s” 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 17,341 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 16 colleges that offer a degree in drama and theater arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent drama and theater arts programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the drama and theater arts program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s”.

Top 16 Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2.Among the 52,679 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 10 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at UIUC]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign/student-life/veterans/)

2
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia College Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 148 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 6,769 students enrolled at Columbia College Chicago, 140 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 98 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,151. During this same period, 25 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Columbia College Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.

Illinois State also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5.Our most recent data shows that 530 of the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State were GI Bill® students, of which 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,997. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

4
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 16 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, DePaul University landed the #4 spot on the list. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying theater list, DePaul has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul, 528 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,957. On top of their other funding sources, 101 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at DePaul University]](/colleges/depaul-university/student-life/veterans/)

5
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Central College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s list. North Central College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Naperville, Illinois. It awarded 39 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

North Central not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 2,832 students enrolled at North Central College, 46 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 32 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,214. To help with additional expenses, 15 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 More…

6

With a ranking of #6, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 12,860 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville were GI Bill® students, of which 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,082. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Veteran Student Life Report

7

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater 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.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 11,366 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at SIUC]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/student-life/veterans/)

8

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC also took the #10 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 33,518 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Chicago, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,878. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

9
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s list. 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 48 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 4,680 students enrolled at Roosevelt University, 95 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 43 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,071. In addition to receiving other benefits, 20 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

10
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 98 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1.Among the 22,603 students enrolled at Northwestern University, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $399. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Northwestern Veteran Student Life Report

11
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s list. Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Loyola Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.According to our most recent data, Loyola Chicago supports 16,893 students, and 261 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 165 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,263. In addition to receiving other benefits, 78 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

12

With a ranking of #12, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s list. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

WIU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 7,490 students enrolled at Western Illinois University, 330 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,652. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Western Illinois University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at WIU]](/colleges/western-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

13

With a ranking of #13, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s list. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 37 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 16,769 students enrolled at NIU, 480 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 207 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,822. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Full Northern Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report

14
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, Bradley University supports 5,855 students, and 96 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 61 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,498. To help with additional expenses, 7 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Bradley University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 86%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Bradley University]](/colleges/bradley-university/student-life/veterans/)

15
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. 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.

Illinois Wesleyan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 1,636 students enrolled at Illinois Wesleyan, 5 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,755. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

16
Millikin crest
Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater for a Bachelor’s ranking. Millikin University is located in Decatur, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Millikin also took the #11 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 24 of the 1,982 students enrolled at Millikin University were GI Bill® students, of which 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,013. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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.

Read More…

Notes and References

References

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