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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in Pennsylvania

29 Ranked Colleges
595 Degrees Awarded
$24,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking.

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 Pennsylvania, there were 712 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $22,622 and $28,540 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 595 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking analyzed 29 colleges that offered 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.

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

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 in Pennsylvania” list to help you make the college 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in Pennsylvania

#1

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

SRU also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend SRU is $19,926 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

#2

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Bloomsburg is a medium-sized public school situated in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 8 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bloomsburg, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $20,230 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Bloomsburg.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Bloomsburg

#3

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, West Chester University of Pennsylvania landed the #3 spot on the list. West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a fairly large school located in West Chester, Pennsylvania that handed out 16 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WCUPA, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WCUPA is $22,495 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at West Chester University of Pennsylvania

#4

California University of Pennsylvania

California, Pennsylvania
#25 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. California University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in California, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $18,154 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Cal U.

Full California University of Pennsylvania Drama & Theater Arts Report

#5

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, Pennsylvania
#20 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Millersville University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. Millersville, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Millersville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Millersville is $23,350 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students.

Full Millersville University of Pennsylvania Drama & Theater Arts Report

#6

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. East Stroudsburg University is a medium-sized school located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for East Stroudsburg University is $19,855 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at East Stroudsburg University

#7

Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Clarion, Pennsylvania

Clarion University of Pennsylvania came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Clarion University is a small public school situated in Clarion, Pennsylvania. It awarded 2 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Clarion University of Pennsylvania is $20,011 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Full Clarion University of Pennsylvania Drama & Theater Arts Report

#8 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a public institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitt also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $27,938 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Pitt.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

#9

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #9, Temple University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Temple University is a public institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Temple, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Temple is $23,521 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Temple University Drama & Theater Arts Report

Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Indiana, Pennsylvania that handed out 14 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,448 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend IUP.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at IUP

#11

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania
#18 in overall quality

York College of Pennsylvania came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. York College of Pennsylvania is a small private not-for-profit school situated in York, Pennsylvania. It awarded 3 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

YCP also took the #18 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $20,652 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend York College of Pennsylvania.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 YCP

#12

Albright College

Reading, Pennsylvania

Albright College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #12. Albright College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Reading, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Albright is $19,469 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Albright

#13

Point Park University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Point Park University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Point Park University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Point Park also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $21,470 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Point Park University.

Full Point Park Drama & Theater Arts Report

#14

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

Messiah University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. This small school is located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students list, Messiah has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $28,141 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Messiah University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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 86%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Messiah

#15

Seton Hill University

Greensburg, Pennsylvania

Seton Hill University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #15. Seton Hill is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 15 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students list, Seton Hill has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Seton Hill University is $23,620 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Seton Hill Drama & Theater Arts Report

#16

DeSales University

Center Valley, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #16, DeSales University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. DeSales University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

DeSales did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $28,309 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend DeSales.

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%.

Full DeSales Drama & Theater Arts Report

#17

Marywood University

Scranton, Pennsylvania
#24 in overall quality

Marywood University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #17. Marywood is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students list, Marywood has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Marywood University is $22,236 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater 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%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Marywood University

#18

Cedar Crest College

Allentown, Pennsylvania
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Cedar Crest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Cedar Crest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Cedar Crest is $21,520 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Cedar Crest Drama & Theater Arts Report

#19

Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

Duquesne University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #19. Duquesne is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Duquesne also took the #15 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duquesne is $29,309 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Duquesne Drama & Theater Arts Report

#20

Lycoming College

Williamsport, Pennsylvania
#19 in overall quality

Lycoming College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Williamsport, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

Lycoming not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lycoming College is $18,580 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Lycoming

#21

Arcadia University

Glenside, Pennsylvania
#23 in overall quality

Arcadia University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #21. Glenside, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

Arcadia also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $27,189 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Arcadia 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%.

Full Arcadia University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#22

Muhlenberg College

Allentown, Pennsylvania

Muhlenberg College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Muhlenberg is a small school located in Allentown, Pennsylvania that handed out 75 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Muhlenberg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Muhlenberg is $27,285 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. 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.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Muhlenberg College

#23

Susquehanna University

Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Susquehanna University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. This small school is located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Susquehanna did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Susquehanna is $25,724 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 Susquehanna

#24

The University of the Arts

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The University of the Arts did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #24. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students list, UArts has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UArts is $40,332 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

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.

Full UArts Drama & Theater Arts Report

#25

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

Lafayette College landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Lafayette is located in Easton, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students list, Lafayette has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $32,551 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Lafayette.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Lafayette

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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.

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