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2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

22 Ranked Colleges
485 Degrees Awarded
$16,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 18,124 people earned their degree in drama and theater arts, making the major the 59th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, drama and theater arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $21,403 and had an average of $26,932 in loans still to pay off.

Across Massachusetts, there were 555 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $21,700 and $23,300 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 485 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,887 and $24,387 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in drama and theater arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great drama and theater arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

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

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts

#1

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Williams also took the #6 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Williams is $2,498 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Williams College

#2

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Tufts University landed the #2 spot on the list. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Tufts has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $5,267 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tufts University.

The impressive 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Tufts

#3

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Boston College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Boston College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $6,353 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, 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%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Boston College

#4

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wellesley College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. Wellesley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wellesley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $8,785 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wellesley.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Wellesley College

#5

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeastern University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 3 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northeastern has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $10,239 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Northeastern

#6

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts
#13 in overall quality

Smith College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northampton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Smith has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Smith College is $6,075 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Smith Drama & Theater Arts Report

#7

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

College of the Holy Cross came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Holy Cross not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend College of the Holy Cross is $15,036 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at College of the Holy Cross

#8

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boston U is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Boston University is $12,903 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Boston University

#9

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Brandeis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Brandeis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $13,567 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brandeis.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 90%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Brandeis

#10

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMass Amherst is a public institution located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMass Amherst has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Amherst is $13,137 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMass Amherst Drama & Theater Arts Report

#11

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

Mount Holyoke College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Mt. Holyoke is a private not-for-profit institution located in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mt. Holyoke, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Holyoke College is $12,063 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Mount Holyoke College

#12

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts
#18 in overall quality

Westfield State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Westfield is located in Westfield, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Westfield also took the #18 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Westfield is $12,672 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full Westfield Drama & Theater Arts Report

#13

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts
#17 in overall quality

Bridgewater State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bridgewater State University is a fairly large school located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts that handed out 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater State also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater State is $13,332 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Bridgewater State

#14

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts
#16 in overall quality

Salem State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Salem, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

Salem State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Salem State is $14,593 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Salem State

#15

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. UMass Boston is a public institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMass Boston has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $13,859 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMass Boston.

Full UMass Boston Drama & Theater Arts Report

#16

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

Wheaton College Massachusetts ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wheaton College Massachusetts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Norton, Massachusetts. It awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wheaton College Massachusetts has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts is $20,511 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Wheaton College Massachusetts Drama & Theater Arts Report

#17

Clark University

Worcester, Massachusetts
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Clark University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Clark, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Clark University is $22,734 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Clark University

#18

Gordon College

Wenham, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

Gordon College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wenham, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Gordon College also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Gordon College is $22,732 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Gordon College

#19

Emerson College

Boston, Massachusetts

Emerson College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Emerson is a medium-sized school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 119 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Emerson did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Emerson is $39,241 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Emerson

#20

Suffolk University

Boston, Massachusetts

Suffolk University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Suffolk, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Suffolk is $27,748 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Suffolk University

#21

Dean College

Franklin, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #21, Dean College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dean College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Franklin, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Dean College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dean College is $26,852 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Dean College

#22

Berklee College of Music

Boston, Massachusetts
#20 in overall quality

Berklee College of Music did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Berklee College of Music is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 53 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Berklee College of Music did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $45,231 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Berklee College of Music.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Berklee College of Music

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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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