Ranking

Best Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Colleges in Illinois 2026

33 Illinois colleges offering Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, ranked by EduGradify value grade.

Schools ranked: 25
Cheapest net price: $8,048
Top earnings 10y: $91,885
Public / Private: 10 / 15

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL · Public

ROI score: 15.66
Net price: $10,974
Earnings 10y: $68,740
Acceptance: 77.4%

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 15.46
Net price: $14,860
Earnings 10y: $91,885
Acceptance: 4.5%

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL · Public

ROI score: 14.12
Net price: $14,355
Earnings 10y: $81,054
Acceptance: 42.4%

Dominican University

River Forest, IL · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 12.84
Net price: $11,745
Earnings 10y: $60,327
Acceptance: 90.3%

Parkland College

Champaign, IL · Public

ROI score: 11.90
Net price: $8,048
Earnings 10y: $38,320
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Governors State University

University Park, IL · Public

ROI score: 11.80
Net price: $12,329
Earnings 10y: $58,169
Acceptance: 48.3%

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL · Public

ROI score: 10.79
Net price: $13,391
Earnings 10y: $57,808
Acceptance: 69.8%

Western Illinois University

Macomb, IL · Public

ROI score: 10.47
Net price: $12,937
Earnings 10y: $54,163
Acceptance: 71.2%

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL · Public

ROI score: 10.17
Net price: $12,786
Earnings 10y: $51,989
Acceptance: 65.4%

#10

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Carbondale, IL · Public

ROI score: 10.04
Net price: $13,297
Earnings 10y: $53,390
Acceptance: 86.9%

#11

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 9.70
Net price: $17,028
Earnings 10y: $66,099
Acceptance: 71.3%

#12

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Edwardsville, IL · Public

ROI score: 9.46
Net price: $14,889
Earnings 10y: $56,346
Acceptance: 97.5%

#13

Illinois State University

Normal, IL · Public

ROI score: 8.01
Net price: $19,398
Earnings 10y: $62,117
Acceptance: 88.2%

#14

Aurora University

Aurora, IL · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 7.79
Net price: $18,838
Earnings 10y: $58,709
Acceptance: 80.9%

#15

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 7.66
Net price: $29,167
Earnings 10y: $89,363
Acceptance: 7.7%

#16

Judson University

Elgin, IL · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 7.59
Net price: $18,558
Earnings 10y: $56,313
Acceptance: 47.6%

#17

Monmouth College

Monmouth, IL · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 7.46
Net price: $17,133
Earnings 10y: $51,110
Acceptance: 90.9%

#18

Bradley University

Peoria, IL · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 7.36
Net price: $22,719
Earnings 10y: $66,852
Acceptance: 76.8%

#19

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 7.33
Net price: $18,436
Earnings 10y: $54,089
Acceptance: 92.8%

#20

Illinois College

Jacksonville, IL · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 7.18
Net price: $18,298
Earnings 10y: $52,575
Acceptance: 78.2%

#21

North Central College

Naperville, IL · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 7.14
Net price: $21,044
Earnings 10y: $60,123
Acceptance: 77.3%

#22

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 6.92
Net price: $22,736
Earnings 10y: $62,971
Acceptance: 62.7%

#23

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 6.35
Net price: $24,185
Earnings 10y: $61,462
Acceptance: 73.6%

#24

Blackburn College

Carlinville, IL · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 6.34
Net price: $18,460
Earnings 10y: $46,802
Acceptance: 63.2%

#25

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, IL · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 6.28
Net price: $28,199
Earnings 10y: $70,871
Acceptance: 39.3%

How we picked this list

This list starts with Illinois schools with positive Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft program-share evidence, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 9.43 (10 public, 15 private).

Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.

FAQ

Who leads this ranking?

University of Illinois Chicago in Chicago, IL tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A.

How does EduGradify pick this list?

We rank this set by roi score using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.

How many Illinois colleges are in this list?

33 Illinois colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.

What does net price mean here?

Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.