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Best Schools for Acting in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall acting education in Illinois.
Top Schools in Acting
Depaul University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in acting. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. About 68% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 39 acting students who graduated with this degree at Depaul University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, acting degree recipients from Depaul University generally make around $23,592. Students borrow a median of $26,348 to complete this degree.
Read more about the acting program at Depaul University
Students looking for a strong acting program will find one at University Of Illinois At Chicago, which ranked #2. University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago. University Of Illinois At Chicago graduates 62% of students within six years. University Of Illinois At Chicago awarded about 11 acting degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their acting degree from University Of Illinois At Chicago earn around $14,938 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $21,238.
See the full acting program report for University Of Illinois At Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in acting, ranking #3. Set in the city of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. About 52% of students finish within six years. About 71 acting degrees were awarded at Columbia College Chicago in the most recent year. Students who receive their acting degree from Columbia College Chicago earn around $17,929 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $26,977 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in acting from Columbia College Chicago
A rank of #4 makes Illinois Wesleyan University one of the top schools for acting. Located in the city of Bloomington, Illinois Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 75%. Illinois Wesleyan University awarded about 14 acting degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, acting degree recipients from Illinois Wesleyan University generally make around $19,490. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
Read more about the acting program at Illinois Wesleyan University
A rank of #5 makes Roosevelt University one of the top schools for acting. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. Roosevelt University graduates 46% of students within six years. Roosevelt University awarded about 14 acting degrees in the most recent data year. Acting graduates of Roosevelt University earn a median of $21,001 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $26,000.
Read more about the acting program at Roosevelt University
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 9 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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