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2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k

14 Ranked Colleges
203 Degrees Awarded
$15,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k

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 in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 Tennessee, there were 203 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $16,750 and $22,225 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 14 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the drama and theater arts program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Drama & Theater Arts 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 Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for tennessee theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $6,017 for Tennessee Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Vanderbilt University

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and it awarded 10 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Chattanooga also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is $10,515 for Tennessee Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UT Chattanooga

#3

Rhodes College

Memphis, Tennessee

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Rhodes College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rhodes College, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $16,061 for Tennessee Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Rhodes College.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. 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 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 Rhodes College

#4

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Middle Tennessee State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k list. Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Middle Tennessee State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $10,637 for Tennessee Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Middle Tennessee State University.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Middle Tennessee State University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k. UT Knoxville is located in Knoxville, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

UT Knoxville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $13,745 for tennessee theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UT Knoxville

#6

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee

East Tennessee State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Johnson City, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

ETSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend ETSU is $12,703 for tennessee theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full ETSU Drama & Theater Arts Report

#7

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

With a ranking of #7, University of Memphis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 25 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UofM also took the #13 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Memphis is $12,264 for tennessee theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UofM

#8

Lee University

Cleveland, Tennessee

With a ranking of #8, Lee University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lee University is located in Cleveland, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Lee University also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Lee University is $15,543 for tennessee theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Lee University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#9

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, Tennessee

Trevecca Nazarene University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k list. TNU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

TNU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend TNU is $15,172 for Tennessee Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Trevecca Nazarene University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#10

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, Tennessee

Austin Peay State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k list. Austin Peay State University is a public institution located in Clarksville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Austin Peay State University, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Austin Peay State University is $12,298 for Tennessee Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Austin Peay State University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#11

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, Tennessee

Freed-Hardeman University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Henderson, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2019-2020.

FHU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $13,318 for Tennessee Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Freed-Hardeman University.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at FHU

#12

Belmont University

Nashville, Tennessee

Belmont University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Belmont is a medium-sized school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 15 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, Belmont has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Belmont University is $26,275 for tennessee theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Belmont University

#13

Lipscomb University

Nashville, Tennessee

Lipscomb University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Lipscomb also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Lipscomb is $20,503 for tennessee theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Lipscomb University

#14

Visible Music College

Memphis, Tennessee
#14 in overall quality

Visible Music College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Visible Music College is a small school located in Memphis, Tennessee that handed out 3 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Visible Music College also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Visible Music College is $24,277 for tennessee 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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Visible Music College

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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