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2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

96 Ranked Colleges
2,084 Degrees Awarded
$9,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Drama & Theater Arts is the 59th most popular major in the country with 18,124 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 the Great Lakes region, there were 2,373 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $21,381 and $25,614 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,084 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 96 colleges that offer a degree in drama and theater arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent drama and theater arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the drama and theater arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Drama & Theater Arts Schools

The theater 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 Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 93 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $3,995 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Northwestern University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#2

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 74 students in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also took the #1 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,609 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Notre Dame.

The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 University of Notre Dame

Out of the 96 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 14 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $6,860 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Drama & Theater Arts at University of Wisconsin - Madison

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 62 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $5,887 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at U-M

#5

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #8 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,800 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 100%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full University of Chicago Drama & Theater Arts Report

#6

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,879 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full Purdue Drama & Theater Arts Report

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UIUC

#8

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 35 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $6,192 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full IU Bloomington Drama & Theater Arts Report

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $9,795 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Drama & Theater Arts Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $10,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Ohio State University - Main Campus

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also took the #25 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $9,938 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#12

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point also took the #24 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $11,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UW - Stevens Point

#13

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $12,156 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

Full UW - Whitewater Drama & Theater Arts Report

University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Parkside is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $9,018 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UW - Parkside

#15

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Eau Claire, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,828 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.

Full UW - Eau Claire Drama & Theater Arts Report

#16

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Beloit College is a small school located in Beloit, Wisconsin that handed out 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,628 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Beloit.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Beloit College

#17

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Oakland University is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 30 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $7,751 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Oakland University

#18

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 12 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,124 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

The low 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 University of Wisconsin - River Falls Drama & Theater Arts Report

#19

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Green Bay, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $11,641 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#20

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $10,487 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Ball State Drama & Theater Arts Report

#21

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $11,316 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at EIU

#22

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. USI is located in Evansville, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Indiana is $9,842 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at USI

#23

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Indiana University - South Bend is located in South Bend, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $5,057 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - South Bend.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Indiana University - South Bend

#24

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. PFW is a medium-sized public school situated in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend PFW.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Purdue University Fort Wayne

#25

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 71 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $14,999 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Illinois State

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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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