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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Musical Theater in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

16 Ranked Colleges
201 Degrees Awarded
$21,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Musical Theater is the 489th most popular major in the country with 935 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 201 musical theater graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 201 musical theater graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 16 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Musical Theater Schools

The musical theatre school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Musical Theater in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s 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 in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,336 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 of Michigan - Ann Arbor Musical Theater Report

#2

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#4 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 #2 for the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 14 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Musical Theater at Indiana University - Bloomington

#3

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Oakland University landed the #3 spot on the list. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

Oakland not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid.

Full Oakland University Musical Theater Report

#4

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#14 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Michigan University landed the #4 spot on the list. Central Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 5 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid per year to attend Central Michigan University.

Read more about Musical Theater at Central Michigan University

#5

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Michigan University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. WMU is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WMU also made our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid per year to attend WMU.

Read more about Musical Theater at WMU

#9 in overall quality

Kent State University at Kent landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Kent State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Kent State University at Kent is $18,885 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid.

Full Kent State University at Kent Musical Theater Report

#7

Otterbein University

Westerville, Ohio
#3 in overall quality

Otterbein University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Westerville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s musical theatre students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid list, Otterbein has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Otterbein University is $23,386 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Musical Theater at Otterbein University

#8

Viterbo University

La Crosse, Wisconsin
#6 in overall quality

Viterbo University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid list, Viterbo has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Viterbo University is $19,992 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Musical Theater at Viterbo

#9

Taylor University

Upland, Indiana
#2 in overall quality

Taylor University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Upland, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s musical theatre students in 2019-2020.

Taylor U also took the #2 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Taylor University is $25,888 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Musical Theater at Taylor University

#10

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Elmhurst University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Elmhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $21,485 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid.

The low 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%.

Full Elmhurst University Musical Theater Report

#11

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. North Central is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $24,786 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid.

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

Read full report on Musical Theater at North Central

#12

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Roosevelt University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Roosevelt University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt University is $22,749 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid.

Read more about Musical Theater at Roosevelt University

#13

Carthage College

Kenosha, Wisconsin
#12 in overall quality

Carthage College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Carthage College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 1 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

Carthage did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $28,191 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid per year to attend Carthage College.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Carthage College Musical Theater Report

#14

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid list, Columbia has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $31,099 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid per year to attend Columbia.

Read more about Musical Theater at Columbia

#15

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Illinois Wesleyan is located in Bloomington, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.

Illinois Wesleyan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $26,039 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree musical theatre students with aid per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan University.

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 student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Illinois Wesleyan Musical Theater Report

#16

Anderson University Indiana

Anderson, Indiana
#16 in overall quality

Anderson University Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Anderson University Indiana is a small school located in Anderson, Indiana that handed out 7 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.

Anderson University Indiana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $22,351 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students with aid per year to attend Anderson University Indiana.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Musical Theater at Anderson University Indiana

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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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