Academic Index Last updated: June 23, 2026

12 Best Universities in Illinois for Acting and Drama

Focusing specifically on Acting and Drama, our data science engine identified the 12 most influential universities in Illinois. Based on 1.16M scholarly articles and 48.7M peer-reviewed citations, we reveal the best research labs driving innovation in Acting and Drama. This targeted approach bypasses general university reputation, directly revealing the strongest programs.

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1

Champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign

For Acting and Drama

#26 in United States #29 in North America

42% Acceptance

37,140 Enrollment

1415 Avg SAT

1867 Founded

2

Chicago

University of Chicago

For Acting and Drama

#27 in United States #30 in North America

4% Acceptance

7,598 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

3

Evanston

Northwestern University

For Acting and Drama

#42 in United States #46 in North America

8% Acceptance

9,399 Enrollment

1540 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

4

Chicago

University of Illinois at Chicago

For Acting and Drama

#69 in United States #81 in North America

77% Acceptance

22,495 Enrollment

1240 Avg SAT

1858 Founded

5

DeKalb

Northern Illinois University

For Acting and Drama

#120 in United States #143 in North America

70% Acceptance

16,744 Enrollment

1125 Avg SAT

1895 Founded

6

Chicago

DePaul University

For Acting and Drama

#162 in United States #187 in North America

76% Acceptance

5,734 Enrollment

1235 Avg SAT

1898 Founded

7

Chicago

Loyola University Chicago

For Acting and Drama

#223 in United States #254 in North America

82% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1265 Avg SAT

1870 Founded

8

Carbondale

Southern Illinois University – Carbondale

For Acting and Drama

#113 in United States #136 in North America

87% Acceptance

2,708 Enrollment

1030 Avg SAT

1869 Founded

9

Bloomington, IL

Illinois Wesleyan University

For Acting and Drama

#235 in United States #268 in North America

39% Acceptance

1,582 Enrollment

1230 Avg SAT

1850 Founded

10

Chicago

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

For Acting and Drama

#196 in United States #223 in North America

77% Acceptance

15,414 Enrollment

1508 Avg SAT

1866 Founded

11

Charleston, IL

Eastern Illinois University

For Acting and Drama

#212 in United States #243 in North America

65% Acceptance

3,231 Enrollment

985 Avg SAT

1895 Founded

12

Normal, IL

Illinois State University

For Acting and Drama

#175 in United States #202 in North America

88% Acceptance

6,332 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1857 Founded