2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking - to help you make that 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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 13,307 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 560 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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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 for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 Bachelor’s
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts
Out of the 560 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, BYU also did well on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $13,322 for bachelor’s degree theater students.
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 low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Brigham Young University - Provo Drama & Theater Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Texas A&M University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s list. West Texas A&M University is a fairly large public school situated in Canyon, Texas. It awarded 20 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
West Texas A&M University also claimed a top spot on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,761 for Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend West Texas A&M University.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Brigham Young University - Idaho is located in Rexburg, Idaho and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $7,167 for bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Brigham Young University - Idaho
Out of the 560 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Dakota landed the #4 spot on the list. University of South Dakota is a medium-sized school located in Vermillion, South Dakota that handed out 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
USD also claimed a top spot on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend USD is $18,555 for bachelor’s degree theater students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of South Dakota
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - La Crosse also did well on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,580 for bachelor’s degree theater students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
With a ranking of #6, North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s list. North Dakota State University is located in Fargo, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
On top of its placing in this ranking, North Dakota State University also did well on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $16,584 for bachelor’s degree theater students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full North Dakota State University Drama & Theater Arts Report
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for bachelor’s degree theater students.
Winona State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
Winona State excels when it comes to theater quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $17,656 for bachelor’s degree theater students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Truman State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Truman State University is a small public school situated in Kirksville, Missouri. It awarded 6 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Truman State also did well on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $12,462 for bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Truman State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Truman State University
Southwest Minnesota State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Southwest Minnesota State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Marshall, Minnesota. It awarded 6 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,397 for Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Southwest Minnesota State University.
Full Southwest Minnesota State University Drama & Theater Arts Report
South Dakota State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State is $19,252 for Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at South Dakota State
With a ranking of #11, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,249 for Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend UW - Whitewater.
With a ranking of #13, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $19,926 for Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend SRU.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. 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.
It costs about $14,465 for bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Drama & Theater Arts Report
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. This fairly large school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #16. University of Nebraska at Kearney is a medium-sized school located in Kearney, Nebraska that handed out 10 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UNK is $16,017 for bachelor’s degree theater students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Nebraska at Kearney Drama & Theater Arts Report
Western Carolina University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. WCU is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Carolina University is $13,722 for bachelor’s degree theater students.
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large school is located in San Juan, , and it awarded 43 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UPR Rio Piedras is $11,714 for bachelor’s degree theater students.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras
University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. UW - River Falls is a public institution located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for bachelor’s degree theater students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of North Dakota did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #20. UND is a fairly large school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 6 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,738 for bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend UND.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of North Dakota
Eastern Illinois University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend EIU is $14,607 for Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UMN Duluth is a fairly large public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 29 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $17,067 for Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.
Illinois State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, Illinois State is in the top on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $20,895 for Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Illinois State University.
The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
Florida State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Florida State is also in the top of our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $9,789 for Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Florida State University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, 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 95%.
Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of New Orleans | New Orleans, LA |
| 51 | University of Houston | Houston, TX |
| 53 | University of South Florida - Main Campus | Tampa, FL |
| 54 | University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY |
| 55 | Hunter College | New York, NY |
| 56 | Florida International University | Miami, FL |
| 57 | California State University - Northridge | Northridge, CA |
| 57 | Texas State University | San Marcos, TX |
| 59 | University of North Georgia | Dahlonega, GA |
| 59 | Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw, GA |
| 59 | Westfield State University | Westfield, MA |
| 62 | Northwest Missouri State University | Maryville, MO |
| 63 | Purchase College | Purchase, NY |
| 64 | Tarleton State University | Stephenville, TX |
| 65 | California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach, CA |
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Donald Judge.
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