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2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (With Aid)

28 Ranked Colleges
65 Degrees Awarded
$32,700 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Doctorate For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 65 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Doctorate For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree theater students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (With Aid)

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Stanford also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Stanford Drama & Theater Arts Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree theater students with aid list, UW - Madison has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Drama & Theater Arts Report

#17 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 1 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree theater students with aid list, UW Seattle has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UW Seattle

#4

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#15 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State are $26,707.

Full Florida State Drama & Theater Arts Report

#5

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s theater degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree theater students with aid list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full IU Bloomington Drama & Theater Arts Report

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#9 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree theater students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UCLA

#10 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s theater students in 2019-2020.

UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Austin are $22,886, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UT Austin

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s theater degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Davis are $28,700, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of California - Davis

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 4 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree theater students with aid list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UC Berkeley

#10

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#14 in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. University of Maryland - College Park is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMCP also took the #14 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Maryland - College Park are $30,885, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UMCP Drama & Theater Arts Report

#11

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii
#24 in overall quality

University of Hawaii at Manoa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, this fairly large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s theater students in 2019-2020.

UH Manoa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UH Manoa are $34,550.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UH Manoa

#12

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#20 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree theater students with aid list, UCSB has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCSB are $28,670, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Drama & Theater Arts Report

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 1 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Missouri - Columbia are $27,193.

Full Mizzou Drama & Theater Arts Report

#25 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s theater degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Arizona State University - Tempe are $27,048, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full ASU - Tempe Drama & Theater Arts Report

#4 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also took the #4 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Drama & Theater Arts Report

#16 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree theater students with aid list, Ohio State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State University - Main Campus are $37,141, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Ohio State Drama & Theater Arts Report

#17

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#3 in overall quality

Cornell University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell University are $30,042, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Cornell

#18

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 4 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Northwestern

#19

University of Oregon

Eugene, Oregon
#21 in overall quality

University of Oregon did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. UO is located in Eugene, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree theater students with aid list, UO has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UO are $29,991, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Oregon

#20

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

KU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at KU are $25,007, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Kansas Drama & Theater Arts Report

#21

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Wayne State University are $37,215, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Wayne State University

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. BGSU is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at BGSU are $15,823.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at BGSU

#23

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, Colorado
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, University of Colorado Boulder did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. CU - Boulder is a large school located in Boulder, Colorado that handed out 3 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CU - Boulder, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Colorado Boulder are $32,980, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at CU - Boulder

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this large public school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College are $29,970.

Full Louisiana State University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#22 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Doctorate For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Pitt also took the #22 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus are $40,836.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Pitt

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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