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2023 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid

56 Ranked Colleges
995 Degrees Awarded
$17,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 995 people earned their degree in musical theater, making the major the 426th most popular in the United States.

For this year’s “Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 56 colleges that offer a degree in musical theater. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great musical theater programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the musical theater program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Musical Theater (With Aid)

1

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 19 ’s musical theatre degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Musical Theater Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for musical theatre students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Musical Theater at U-M

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Musical Theater Schools” list. It costs about $12,209 for musical theatre students with aid per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Musical Theater at University of California - Irvine

3

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #3 spot on the list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,619 for musical theatre students with aid per year to attend IU Bloomington.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full IU Bloomington Musical Theater Report

4
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Marcos, Texas, this large public school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified ’s musical theatre students in 2020-2021.

Texas State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Musical Theater Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas State University is $14,887 for Musical Theatre students with aid.

Read more about Musical Theater at Texas State

5
SUNY Fredonia crest
SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, New York

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, SUNY Fredonia landed the #5 spot on the list. SUNY Fredonia is a small public school situated in Fredonia, New York. It awarded 11 ’s musical theatre degrees in 2020-2021.

SUNY Fredonia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Musical Theater Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Fredonia is $14,378 for Musical Theatre students with aid.

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 more about Musical Theater at SUNY Fredonia

6
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s musical theatre degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

University of Arizona also made our “Best Musical Theater Schools” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $13,358 for Musical Theatre students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Musical Theater at University of Arizona

7
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,449 for musical theatre students with aid per year to attend Oakland.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Oakland Musical Theater Report

8
Purchase College crest
Purchase College
Purchase, New York

Purchase College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Purchase, New York, this small public school awarded 17 degrees to qualified ’s musical theatre students in 2020-2021.

Purchase College also took the #8 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purchase College is $17,701 for musical theatre students with aid.

Read more about Musical Theater at Purchase College

9
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

University at Buffalo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. University at Buffalo is a large public school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 10 ’s musical theatre degrees in 2020-2021.

University at Buffalo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Musical Theater Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University at Buffalo is $19,262 for Musical Theatre students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 University at Buffalo Musical Theater Report

10
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Western Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 10 ’s musical theatre degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our musical theatre students with aid list, WMU has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Musical Theater Schools” ranking. It costs about $20,371 for Musical Theatre students with aid per year to attend Western Michigan University.

Full Western Michigan University Musical Theater Report

11

With a ranking of #11, Sam Houston State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid list. SHSU is located in Huntsville, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $15,035 for musical theatre students with aid per year to attend SHSU.

Full Sam Houston State University Musical Theater Report

12
CWU crest
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington

Central Washington University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. CWU is a fairly large school located in Ellensburg, Washington that handed out 7 ’s musical theatre degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,514 for Musical Theatre students with aid per year to attend Central Washington University.

Read full report on Musical Theater at Central Washington University

13

Weber State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. WSU is a public institution located in Ogden, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Weber State University is $11,647 for musical theatre students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full WSU Musical Theater Report

14

West Texas A&M University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid list. West Texas A&M University is located in Canyon, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $15,033 for musical theatre students with aid per year to attend West Texas A&M University.

Full West Texas A&M University Musical Theater Report

15
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Central Michigan University is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $16,007 for Musical Theatre students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Central Michigan Musical Theater Report

16
UCM crest
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCM is a fairly large school located in Warrensburg, Missouri that handed out 5 ’s musical theatre degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UCM is $14,058 for Musical Theatre students with aid.

Read full report on Musical Theater at University of Central Missouri

17

Kent State University at Kent came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kent State University at Kent is a public institution located in Kent, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $19,117 for Musical Theatre students with aid per year to attend Kent State University at Kent.

Read full report on Musical Theater at Kent State

18
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Webster University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Webster is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Webster, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Schools” ranking. It costs about $23,248 for musical theatre students with aid per year to attend Webster.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Webster Musical Theater Report

19

University of Central Oklahoma did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. UCO is a fairly large school located in Edmond, Oklahoma that handed out 15 ’s musical theatre degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,339 for Musical Theatre students with aid per year to attend UCO.

Read more about Musical Theater at UCO

20
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Temple is a public institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Temple also took the #13 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Temple is $23,888 for Musical Theatre students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Temple University Musical Theater Report

21

California State University - Chico landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Chico is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $16,218 for Musical Theatre students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Chico State Musical Theater Report

22

University of Alabama at Birmingham came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Birmingham, Alabama, and it awarded 3 ’s musical theatre degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Alabama at Birmingham is $16,530 for musical theatre students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 more about Musical Theater at UAB

23

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified ’s musical theatre students in 2020-2021.

University of Oklahoma also took the #22 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oklahoma is $21,122 for Musical Theatre students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Musical Theater at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

24

Minnesota State University - Moorhead ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Minnesota State University - Moorhead is a medium-sized school located in Moorhead, Minnesota that handed out 5 ’s musical theatre degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend MSU Moorhead is $17,680 for Musical Theatre students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 more about Musical Theater at Minnesota State University - Moorhead

25

Nebraska Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. NWU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NWU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NWU is $26,295 for Musical Theatre students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Musical Theater at Nebraska Wesleyan University

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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