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2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

126 Ranked Colleges
2,761 Degrees Awarded
$12,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 the Southeast region, there were 3,374 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $20,841 and $26,422 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,761 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 126 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.

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. 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 Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid”.

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

Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Southeast Region (With Aid)

#1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,352 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Drama & Theater Arts Report

#2

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. UNCSA is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 94 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid list, UNCSA has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNCSA is $13,885 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.

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. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, 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.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UNCSA

#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UF also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $6,302 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Full University of Florida Drama & Theater Arts Report

#4

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Berea College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Berea College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Berea, Kentucky. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Berea College is $5,184 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater 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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 87%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Berea

#5

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Out of the 126 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $9,789 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Florida State.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Florida State

Florida International University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FIU is $7,296 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Florida International University

#7

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. UNC Greensboro is located in Greensboro, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

UNC Greensboro also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $12,748 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.

Full UNC Greensboro Drama & Theater Arts Report

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 80 students in 2019-2020.

UCF also took the #21 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $10,274 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend University of Central Florida.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Central Florida Drama & Theater Arts Report

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 35 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $8,355 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full USF Tampa Drama & Theater Arts Report

#10

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. UWF is located in Pensacola, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,406 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend The University of West Florida.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UWF

#11

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,049 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Northern Kentucky University.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Northern Kentucky University

#12

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

With a ranking of #12, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Appalachian State is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 28 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $13,920 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater 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%. 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 Appalachian State

#13

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. FGCU is a fairly large school located in Fort Myers, Florida that handed out 6 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FGCU is $11,606 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.

Full Florida Gulf Coast University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#14

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #14, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Virginia is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid list, University of Virginia has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $20,397 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Virginia

#15

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $21,198 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Virginia Tech

#16

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia

University of North Georgia landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UNG is a public institution located in Dahlonega, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UNG is $10,396 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of North Georgia

#17

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UGA also took the #14 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $13,649 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Georgia

#18

University of New Orleans

New Orleans, Louisiana

University of New Orleans ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. New Orleans, Louisiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of New Orleans is $11,193 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.

Full UNO Drama & Theater Arts Report

#19

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, North Carolina

North Carolina A & T State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. North Carolina A & T State University is located in Greensboro, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for NC A&T is $10,274 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at NC A&T

#20

Columbus State University

Columbus, Georgia

Columbus State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Columbus, Georgia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Columbus State University is $12,058 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Columbus State University

#21

Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Murray, Kentucky, this medium-sized public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Murray State University is $11,390 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Murray State

#22

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#1 in overall quality

Duke University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Duke University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duke is $27,020 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Duke University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#23

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for James Madison University is $22,169 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.

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

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at JMU

#24

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Western Carolina University is $13,722 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.

Full WCU Drama & Theater Arts Report

#25

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Boca Raton, Florida, this large public school awarded 31 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FAU is $10,186 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at FAU

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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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