2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,373 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $21,381 and $25,614 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,084 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 96 colleges that offer a degree in drama and theater arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality drama and theater arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
UW - La Crosse not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Drama & Theater Arts Report
Out of the 96 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #2 spot on the list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Out of the 96 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.
UW - Stevens Point not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
UW - Eau Claire not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,020 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.
With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region 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%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Wisconsin - River Falls
Eastern Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 71 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students list, Illinois State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
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%.
University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. UW - Parkside is a small public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 16 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $11,327 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
With a ranking of #11, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Northern Illinois University.
Full Northern Illinois University Drama & Theater Arts Report
Western Illinois University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $16,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Western Illinois University
Western Michigan University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 46 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Michigan University is $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.
With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
University of Southern Indiana came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Southern Indiana is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 22 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend USI is $13,437 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Southern Indiana
With a ranking of #17, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Eastern Michigan
Grand Valley State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Grand Valley State University is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Youngstown State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Youngstown, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $11,947 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Youngstown State University
Kent State University at Kent ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 72 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $18,885 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Kent State University at Kent
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UWM is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.
With a ranking of #22, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
Purdue also took the #9 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Purdue University - Main Campus
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
UC also took the #12 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $21,843 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend UC.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Drama & Theater Arts Report
Purdue University Fort Wayne came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this medium-sized public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,912 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. BGSU is located in Bowling Green, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $18,394 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend BGSU.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
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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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