2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Middle Atlantic Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 Middle Atlantic region, there were 4,510 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $21,488 and $30,142 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,066 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,278 and $24,587 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking, we looked at 102 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the drama and theater arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Middle Atlantic Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
SRU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $19,926 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY Fredonia. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Fredonia, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.
SUNY Fredonia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Fredonia is $14,824 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
Out of the 102 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, SUNY Oneonta landed the #3 spot on the list. Oneonta, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.
SUNY Oneonta did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Oneonta is $17,470 for Middle Atlantic Region 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region. Hunter College is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 26 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $2,490 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Hunter.
The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.
Out of the 102 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purchase College landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Purchase, New York, this small public school handed out 146 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purchase College, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purchase College is $18,326 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students.
Queens College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. QC is a public institution located in Queens, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Queens College is $3,067 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California University of Pennsylvania landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Cal U is located in California, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend California University of Pennsylvania is $18,154 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
The College at Brockport landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in Brockport, New York, this medium-sized public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,882 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend The College at Brockport.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
SUNY New Paltz landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. SUNY New Paltz is located in New Paltz, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend SUNY New Paltz is $17,171 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
New York City College of Technology ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This fairly large school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for New York City College of Technology is $3,667 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at New York City College of Technology
SUNY Oswego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #11. SUNY Oswego is a medium-sized school located in Oswego, New York that handed out 15 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SUNY Oswego is $15,665 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Towson University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Towson University is a public institution located in Towson, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students list, Towson has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $18,233 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Towson University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Clarion University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #13. Clarion University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Clarion, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $20,011 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Clarion University.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Clarion University of Pennsylvania
SUNY Plattsburgh did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #14. SUNY Plattsburgh is a medium-sized public school situated in Plattsburgh, New York. It awarded 3 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Plattsburgh is $15,845 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 full report on Drama & Theater Arts at SUNY Plattsburgh
With a ranking of #15, Montclair State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Montclair State is a large public school situated in Montclair, New Jersey. It awarded 71 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Montclair State is $18,034 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.
Lehman College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Lehman is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Lehman College is $1,814 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
York College of Pennsylvania landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. York College of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in York, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend York College of Pennsylvania is $20,652 for Middle Atlantic Region 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 York College of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #18. This medium-sized school is located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is $20,230 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
Salisbury University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Salisbury, Maryland, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $19,617 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Salisbury University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #20, The City College of New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. CCNY is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend CCNY is $2,385 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students.
Brooklyn College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Brooklyn College is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 21 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $2,683 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Brooklyn College.
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 Brooklyn College
Kean University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Kean University is located in Union, New Jersey and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Kean University is $18,604 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $19,855 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend East Stroudsburg University.
Full East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania Drama & Theater Arts Report
Buffalo State came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Buffalo State is a medium-sized school located in Buffalo, New York that handed out 19 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,960 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Buffalo State.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, this fairly large public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for WCUPA is $22,495 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, 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 85%.
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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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