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2024 Best Theater Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois

14 Colleges in Illinois
414 Bachelor's Degrees
Ranked #47 in popularity, theater arts is one of the most sought-after bachelor's degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for theater arts students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 414 bachelor's degrees in theater arts during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Theater Arts School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Theater Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois The theater bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality theater program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for theater arts students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Theater Arts Schools

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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 Theater Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Theater Arts in Illinois

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in theater arts.

10 Top Illinois Schools for a Bachelor's in Theater

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 Annual Graduates

Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in theater arts has to look into Northwestern University. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from Northwestern University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Annual Graduates

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a wonderful option for students interested in a bachelor's degree in theater arts. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
10 Annual Graduates

DePaul University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in theater arts. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from DePaul University

4
15 Annual Graduates

Columbia College Chicago is a good option for students interested in a bachelor's degree in theater arts. Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from Columbia College Chicago

5
35 Annual Graduates

Millikin is a small private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Decatur.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from Millikin University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Annual Graduates

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from Illinois State University

7
13 Annual Graduates

UIC is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from University of Illinois at Chicago

8
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, IL
18 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Naperville, North Central is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from North Central College

8
2 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from Roosevelt University

9
5 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in theater arts from Bradley University

Best Theater Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Theater Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 629 202
Ohio 612 268
Indiana 535 224
Wisconsin 435 243

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Theater Arts is one of 11 different types of Drama & Theater Arts programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to Theater

Related Major Annual Graduates
Musical Theater 115
Acting 98
Theater Design & Technology 42
Comedy Writing and Performance 42
Theatre and Dance 13
Directing & Theatrical Production 9
Playwriting & Screenwriting 7
Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft 4
Theatre Literature, History & Criticism 2

Notes and References

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