2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts 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.
Featured schools near , edit
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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%.
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.
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%.
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.
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.
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%.
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%.
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%.
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
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.
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%.
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.
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%.
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.
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%.
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.
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.
Narrow Results by State
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Middle Atlantic Region
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
General Visual & Performing Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Visual & Performing Arts in Pennsylvania
Dance
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Dance in Pennsylvania
Film, Video & Photographic Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in Pennsylvania
Music
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Music in Pennsylvania
Other Visual Art
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Visual Art in Pennsylvania
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry in Pennsylvania
Design & Applied Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in Pennsylvania
Fine & Studio Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in Pennsylvania
Arts & Media Management
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Arts & Media Management in Pennsylvania
Switch to a More Focused Major
Theater Arts
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Theater Arts in Pennsylvania
Playwriting & Screenwriting
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Playwriting & Screenwriting in Pennsylvania
Directing & Theatrical Production
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Directing & Theatrical Production in Pennsylvania
Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft in Pennsylvania
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in Pennsylvania
Drama & Theater Arts students in the state of Pennsylvania
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in Pennsylvania
Drama & Theater Arts students in Pennsylvania
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Drama & Theater Arts Schools
Drama & Theater Arts students in Pennsylvania
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania
Drama & Theater Arts students with family income less than $30k in Pennsylvania
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $48-$75k) in Pennsylvania
Drama & Theater Arts students with family income $48-$75k in Pennsylvania
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income Over $110k) in Pennsylvania
Drama & Theater Arts students with family income exceeding $110k in Pennsylvania
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Drama & Theater Arts Graduates in Pennsylvania
Drama & Theater Arts students in Pennsylvania
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in Pennsylvania
Drama & Theater Arts students in Pennsylvania
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in Pennsylvania (With Aid)
Drama & Theater Arts students getting aid in Pennsylvania
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $30-$48k) in Pennsylvania
Drama & Theater Arts students with family income $30-$48k in Pennsylvania
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $75-$110k) in Pennsylvania
Drama & Theater Arts students with family income $75-$110k in Pennsylvania
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in Pennsylvania
Drama & Theater Arts students in Pennsylvania
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.
Featured Theater Schools
Request Info |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |