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2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

72 Ranked Colleges
851 Degrees Awarded
$16,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 935 people earned their degree in musical theater, making the major the 489th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 851 musical theater graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 72 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in musical theater. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality musical theater programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Musical Theater Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Musical Theater (With Aid)

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 9 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid list, UC Irvine has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,783 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Musical Theater at University of California - Irvine

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 21 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $15,336 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid per year to attend U-M.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Musical Theater at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend West Texas A&M University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. West Texas A&M University is located in Canyon, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.

West Texas A&M University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,761 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid per year to attend West Texas A&M University.

Read more about Musical Theater at West Texas A&M University

#4

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $13,253 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full IU Bloomington Musical Theater Report

#5

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY Fredonia. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. SUNY Fredonia is located in Fredonia, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.

SUNY Fredonia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Fredonia is $14,824 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Musical Theater at SUNY Fredonia

#6

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#12 in overall quality

Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Texas State is a public institution located in San Marcos, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State also made our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Texas State is $15,230 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid.

Read full report on Musical Theater at Texas State University

#7

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Sam Houston State University is located in Huntsville, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Sam Houston State University is $14,617 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid.

Full SHSU Musical Theater Report

#8

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#20 in overall quality

University of Arizona ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 7 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona also took the #20 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,016 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid per year to attend University of Arizona.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Musical Theater at University of Arizona

#9

Purchase College

Purchase, New York
#10 in overall quality

Purchase College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. This small school is located in Purchase, New York, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

Purchase College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purchase College is $18,326 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid.

Read more about Musical Theater at Purchase College

#10

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Oakland University is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,802 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid per year to attend Oakland.

Read full report on Musical Theater at Oakland University

#11

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Central Missouri is a medium-sized school located in Warrensburg, Missouri that handed out 6 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UCM is $13,677 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid.

Read full report on Musical Theater at UCM

#12

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#21 in overall quality

University of North Dakota landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UND, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,738 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid per year to attend University of North Dakota.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 UND

#13

Weber State University

Ogden, Utah

With a ranking of #13, Weber State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Weber State University is a large school located in Ogden, Utah that handed out 4 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend WSU is $11,968 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid.

Read more about Musical Theater at WSU

Minnesota State University - Moorhead came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. MSU Moorhead is a medium-sized school located in Moorhead, Minnesota that handed out 2 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State University - Moorhead is $16,893 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 MSU Moorhead Musical Theater Report

#15

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 5 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan is $15,981 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid.

Full Central Michigan Musical Theater Report

California State University - Chico came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $15,017 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Read more about Musical Theater at Chico State

Western Connecticut State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. WestConn is a medium-sized public school situated in Danbury, Connecticut. It awarded 15 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Western Connecticut State University is $18,215 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid.

Read full report on Musical Theater at Western Connecticut State University

University of Central Oklahoma came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCO is located in Edmond, Oklahoma and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Oklahoma is $16,562 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid.

Full UCO Musical Theater Report

#19

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, New York

With a ranking of #19, University at Buffalo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Buffalo, New York, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University at Buffalo is $18,194 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid.

The 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 students.

Read more about Musical Theater at University at Buffalo

University of Alabama at Birmingham did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Birmingham, Alabama is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Alabama at Birmingham is $16,953 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Musical Theater at University of Alabama at Birmingham

#21

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington

Central Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Ellensburg, Washington, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CWU is $15,397 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid.

Full CWU Musical Theater Report

#22

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. WMU is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $19,433 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid.

Read full report on Musical Theater at WMU

Kent State University at Kent ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Kent State University at Kent is $18,885 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid.

Read full report on Musical Theater at Kent State

#18 in overall quality

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma is $21,145 for bachelor’s degree 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Musical Theater at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

#25

Otterbein University

Westerville, Ohio
#8 in overall quality

Otterbein University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Otterbein University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Westerville, Ohio. It awarded 9 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

Otterbein not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $23,386 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid per year to attend Otterbein University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Otterbein Musical Theater Report

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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