Looking in Illinois there are excellent programs at DePaul. They are more of a conservatory program, but I know a number of people who have gone through the Lighting program there and loved it. However because of the conservatory style there is less room for exploring other areas of
theatre. I personally graduated from Illinois State and loved it. Julie Mack runs the lighting program there and is an OUTSTANDING professor.
One thing to keep in mind when choosing a technical program is to make sure that your professors are still spending time working outside of the school. Too many people get caught in the world of academia and never find there way out of their 'ivory tower'