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2023 Best Theater Arts Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

17 Ranked Colleges
458 Degrees Awarded
$30,400 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. 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” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Theater Arts is the 70th most popular major in the country with 11,385 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across Illinois, there were 458 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater” ranking looked at 17 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in theater arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great theater arts programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the theater arts program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Theater Arts Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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

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

Top 17 Best Theater Arts Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 43 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 52,679 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 10 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. 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.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Veteran Student Life Report

2
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia College Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater. Columbia is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 15 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying theater list, Columbia has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Columbia supports 6,769 students, and 140 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 98 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,151. On top of their other funding sources, 25 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Columbia]](/colleges/columbia-college-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 68 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

Illinois State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.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. During this same period, 0 students qualified for 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…

4
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater list. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying theater list, DePaul has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” 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. To help with additional expenses, 101 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. DePaul does offer credit for military training for eligible 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 full report on veteran student life at DePaul University]](/colleges/depaul-university/student-life/veterans/)

5
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater that were part of this year’s ranking, North Central College landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 2,832 students enrolled at North Central, 46 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 32 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,214. To help with additional expenses, 15 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. North Central does offer 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%.

Read More…

6

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater ranking. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 11 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 11,366 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 13 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 33,518 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Chicago were GI Bill® students, of which 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 University of Illinois at Chicago]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

8
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater ranking, coming in at #8. Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Roosevelt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 95 of the 4,680 students enrolled at Roosevelt University were GI Bill® students, of which 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. During this same period, 20 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Roosevelt Veteran Student Life Report

9
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 106 students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 22,603 students enrolled at Northwestern were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $399. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 Northwestern]](/colleges/northwestern-university/student-life/veterans/)

10
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater ranking. Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying theater list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 16,893 students enrolled at Loyola Chicago, 261 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 165 were 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 received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 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…

11

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater ranking, coming in at #11. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

NIU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 16,769 students enrolled at Northern Illinois University, 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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,822. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Read More…

12

Western Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater list. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 7,490 students enrolled at WIU, 330 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,652. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Western Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report

13
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 6 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 8,626 students enrolled at Eastern Illinois University, 184 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,730. 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.

Full Eastern Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report

14
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, Bradley University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 5 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Bradley 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. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read More…

15
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater list. Bloomington, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

Illinois Wesleyan also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Illinois Wesleyan supports 1,636 students, and 5 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,755. During this same period, 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Illinois Wesleyan Veteran Student Life Report

16
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying theater list, Dominican U has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 3,189 students enrolled at Dominican U, 37 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 17 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,038. During this same period, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read More…

17
Millikin crest
Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Theater ranking. Millikin University is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 35 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying theater list, Millikin has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 1,982 students enrolled at Millikin, 24 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,013. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read More…

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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