2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.
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 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 194 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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 Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” 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. 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 Master’s in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree theater students.
Top 19 Best Value Master’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 Columbia College Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s theater students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree theater students list, Columbia has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $2,350.
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s theater degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois State are $11,069, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Illinois University landed the #3 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 6 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at WIU are $11,996.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio University - Athens Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s theater degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.
OHIO Athens did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio University - Athens Campus are $17,712, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Drama & Theater Arts Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 6 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Purdue also took the #2 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Purdue University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #6, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 26 degrees to qualified masters’s theater students in 2019-2020.
DePaul also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul University are $19,760.
Northern Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 2 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
NIU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northern Illinois University are $11,086, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UC is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 masters’s theater degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus are $26,644, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083.
With a ranking of #10, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified masters’s theater students in 2019-2020.
Roosevelt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Roosevelt are $21,605, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Roosevelt University
With a ranking of #11, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s theater degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree theater students list, Kent State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Kent State University at Kent are $21,952, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 11 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Indiana University - Bloomington
Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Eastern Michigan University is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree theater students list, Eastern Michigan has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Eastern Michigan are $26,552, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Miami University - Oxford is located in Oxford, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 masters’s theater degrees to qualified students.
Miami University - Oxford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Miami University - Oxford are $31,697, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Miami University - Oxford
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 masters’s theater degrees to qualified students.
SIUC also took the #17 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SIUC are $32,928, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 masters’s theater degrees to qualified students.
Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State are $37,056, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 3 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State are $37,141.
Wayne State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wayne State University is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 masters’s theater degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wayne State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Wayne State University are $37,215.
Northwestern University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Great Lakes Region
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
General Visual & Performing Arts
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for General Visual & Performing Arts in the Great Lakes Region
Dance
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Dance in the Great Lakes Region
Film, Video & Photographic Arts
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Film, Video & Photographic Arts in the Great Lakes Region
Music
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Music in the Great Lakes Region
Other Visual Art
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Other Visual Art in the Great Lakes Region
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry in the Great Lakes Region
Design & Applied Arts
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in the Great Lakes Region
Fine & Studio Arts
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts in the Great Lakes Region
Arts & Media Management
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Arts & Media Management in the Great Lakes Region
Switch to a More Focused Major
Theater Arts
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Theater Arts in the Great Lakes Region
Playwriting & Screenwriting
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Playwriting & Screenwriting in the Great Lakes Region
Directing & Theatrical Production
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Directing & Theatrical Production in the Great Lakes Region
Theater Design & Technology
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Theater Design & Technology in the Great Lakes Region
Acting
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Acting in the Great Lakes Region
Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft in the Great Lakes Region
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Drama & Theater Arts Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Drama & Theater Arts students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Great Lakes Region
Drama & Theater Arts students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Master's Degree Online Drama & Theater Arts Schools
Drama & Theater Arts students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Drama & Theater Arts students with family income less than $30k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
Drama & Theater Arts students with family income $48-$75k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Drama & Theater Arts students with family income exceeding $110k in the Great Lakes Region
Highest Paid Master's Degree Drama & Theater Arts Graduates in the Great Lakes Region
Drama & Theater Arts students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Great Lakes Region
Drama & Theater Arts students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Drama & Theater Arts students getting aid in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Drama & Theater Arts students with family income $30-$48k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Drama & Theater Arts students with family income $75-$110k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Great Lakes Region
Drama & Theater Arts students in the Great Lakes Region
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 > |