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2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid

14 Ranked Colleges
203 Degrees Awarded
$19,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for tennessee theater students with aid.

Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in Tennessee (With Aid)

#1

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#8 in overall quality
$12,464 Average Net Price
$36,971 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Middle Tennessee State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee theater students with aid list, Middle Tennessee State University has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Middle Tennessee State University is $12,464 for tennessee theater students with aid.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#2

The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

Chattanooga, Tennessee
#5 in overall quality
$12,952 Average Net Price
$43,755 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

UT Chattanooga not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Chattanooga is $12,952 for tennessee theater students with aid.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UT Chattanooga

#3

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, Tennessee
#6 in overall quality
$17,499 Average Net Price
$55,950 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Trevecca Nazarene University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid list. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at TNU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend TNU is $17,499 for tennessee theater students with aid.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at TNU

#4

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee
#12 in overall quality
$14,332 Average Net Price
$40,067 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend East Tennessee State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in Johnson City, Tennessee, and it awarded 12 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

ETSU also took the #12 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend East Tennessee State University is $14,332 for tennessee theater students with aid.

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

#5

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#1 in overall quality
$19,432 Average Net Price
$67,244 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid list. 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 $19,432 for Tennessee Theater students with aid per year to attend Vanderbilt.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 more about Drama & Theater Arts at Vanderbilt

#6

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee
#13 in overall quality
$13,248 Average Net Price
$38,610 Average Early-Career Earnings

University of Memphis landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid ranking. Memphis, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

UofM also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for University of Memphis is $13,248 for tennessee theater students with aid.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UofM

#7

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, Tennessee
#11 in overall quality
$13,692 Average Net Price
$34,836 Average Early-Career Earnings

Austin Peay State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

Austin Peay State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $13,692 for Tennessee Theater students with aid per year to attend Austin Peay State University.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Austin Peay State University

#8

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, Tennessee
#9 in overall quality
$16,703 Average Net Price
$41,750 Average Early-Career Earnings

Freed-Hardeman University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid list. Freed-Hardeman University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Henderson, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

FHU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for FHU is $16,703 for Tennessee Theater students with aid.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at FHU

#9

Lee University

Cleveland, Tennessee
#7 in overall quality
$17,696 Average Net Price
$31,662 Average Early-Career Earnings

With a ranking of #9, Lee University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid list. Lee University is a medium-sized school located in Cleveland, Tennessee that handed out 7 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Lee University also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Lee University is $17,696 for tennessee theater students with aid.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Lee University

#10

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Knoxville, Tennessee
#4 in overall quality
$18,825 Average Net Price
$43,722 Average Early-Career Earnings

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 20 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Knoxville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $18,825 for tennessee theater students with aid per year to attend UT Knoxville.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Drama & Theater Arts Report

#11

Rhodes College

Memphis, Tennessee
#2 in overall quality
$27,540 Average Net Price
$35,286 Average Early-Career Earnings

Rhodes College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid ranking. Memphis, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Rhodes College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rhodes College is $27,540 for tennessee theater students with aid.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Rhodes College

#12

Lipscomb University

Nashville, Tennessee
#10 in overall quality
$24,749 Average Net Price
$50,625 Average Early-Career Earnings

Lipscomb University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Lipscomb is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Lipscomb did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lipscomb University is $24,749 for Tennessee Theater students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Lipscomb Drama & Theater Arts Report

#13

Belmont University

Nashville, Tennessee
#3 in overall quality
$35,548 Average Net Price
$47,290 Average Early-Career Earnings

Belmont University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. This medium-sized school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 15 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Belmont did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend Belmont is $35,548 for Tennessee Theater students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Belmont Drama & Theater Arts Report

#14

Visible Music College

Memphis, Tennessee
#14 in overall quality
$22,807 Average Net Price

With a ranking of #14, Visible Music College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools in Tennessee For Those Getting Aid list. Visible Music College is a small school located in Memphis, Tennessee that handed out 3 ’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Visible Music College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $22,807 for Tennessee Theater students with aid per year to attend Visible Music College.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Visible Music College Drama & Theater Arts Report

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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