by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Drama & Theater Arts is the 59th most popular major in the country with 17,341 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, drama & theater arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $23,190 and had an average of $23,522 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southwest region, there were 1,410 drama & theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,214 and $22,828 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking, we looked at 37 colleges that offer a degree in drama & theater arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality drama & theater arts programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the drama & theater arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region theater students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Texas A&M University. It ranked #1 on our 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Canyon, Texas, and it awarded 19 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
West Texas A&M University also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend West Texas A&M University is $15,033 for Southwest Region Theater students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Scottsdale Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region list. Scottsdale Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Scottsdale, Arizona. It awarded 14 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Scottsdale Community College is $11,088 for southwest region theater students.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Scottsdale Community College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M University - Commerce. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region. Texas A&M Commerce is located in Commerce, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
Texas A&M Commerce did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $13,515 for Southwest Region Theater students per year to attend Texas A&M University - Commerce.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Texas A&M University - Commerce
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas State University. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region list. Texas State is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 145 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
Texas State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State is $14,887 for southwest region theater students.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Texas State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region. UNT is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 70 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
UNT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNT is $14,122 for southwest region theater students.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of North Texas
University of Houston came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. University of Houston is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 54 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
UH also took the #12 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $13,721 for Southwest Region Theater students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Houston
With a ranking of #7, Austin Community College District did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 8 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
Austin Community College District not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $7,224 for southwest region theater students per year to attend Austin Community College District.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Austin Community College District
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region theater students list, OSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $14,237 for southwest region theater students per year to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Drama & Theater Arts Report
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #9. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 22 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Rio Grande Valley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $3,743 for Southwest Region Theater students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Drama & Theater Arts Report
With a ranking of #10, Texas Tech University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region list. Texas Tech University is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 44 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
Texas Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $16,194 for southwest region theater students per year to attend Texas Tech.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large school located in Norman, Oklahoma that handed out 43 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Oklahoma did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $21,122 for southwest region theater students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Oklahoma
University of Central Oklahoma ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region list. University of Central Oklahoma is a fairly large school located in Edmond, Oklahoma that handed out 25 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
UCO also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend UCO is $17,339 for Southwest Region Theater students.
Sam Houston State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #13. Sam Houston State University is a public institution located in Huntsville, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region theater students list, SHSU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $15,035 for southwest region theater students per year to attend Sam Houston State University.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Sam Houston State University
Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #14. NAU is a large school located in Flagstaff, Arizona that handed out 22 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NAU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NAU is $14,308 for southwest region theater students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Northern Arizona University
Texas Woman’s University landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Texas Woman’s University is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
TWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $9,684 for southwest region theater students per year to attend TWU.
Stephen F Austin State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #16. SFASU is a public institution located in Nacogdoches, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SFASU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $13,393 for southwest region theater students per year to attend SFASU.
With a ranking of #17, Oklahoma City University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region list. OCU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It awarded 57 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
OCU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for OCU is $22,910 for southwest region theater students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 70 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region theater students list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,107 for Southwest Region Theater students per year to attend ASU - Tempe.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Arizona State University - Tempe
KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #19. KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts is a small private for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 31 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend KD Conservatory is $23,070 for southwest region theater students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
The University of Texas at Austin landed the #20 spot on the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Austin also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $18,350 for southwest region theater students per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #21. UNM is a large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 19 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
UNM also took the #20 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $14,424 for Southwest Region Theater students per year to attend UNM.
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #22. This fairly large school is located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and it awarded 26 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,203 for southwest region theater students per year to attend Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. This small school is located in Chickasha, Oklahoma, and it awarded 10 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,011 for southwest region theater students per year to attend University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
Full University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Drama & Theater Arts Report
The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #24. El Paso, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,000 for southwest region theater students per year to attend UTEP.
Tarleton State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Stephenville, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Tarleton State University is $20,307 for southwest region theater students.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
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