by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 17,341 people earned their degree in drama & theater arts, making the major the 59th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, drama & theater arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $23,190 and had an average of $23,522 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southeast region, there were 3,321 drama & theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $21,994 and $23,864 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking analyzed 101 colleges that offered a degree in drama & theater arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent drama & 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 & 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.
The theater school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region”.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region.
Out of the 101 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Valencia College landed the #1 spot on the list. Valencia College is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 91 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Valencia College is $5,354 for southeast region theater students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Regent University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region. Regent University is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
Regent also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Regent University is $24,888 for Southeast Region Theater students.
Out of the 101 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 121 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
Florida State also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $9,946 for Southeast Region Theater students per year to attend Florida State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mary Baldwin University. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region list. Mary Baldwin is located in Staunton, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Mary Baldwin is $18,354 for Southeast Region Theater students.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Mary Baldwin University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern Mississippi. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, this fairly large public school awarded 32 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,032 for Southeast Region Theater students per year to attend University of Southern Mississippi.
With a ranking of #6, Harding University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region list. This small school is located in Searcy, Arkansas, and it awarded 8 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
Harding not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Harding is $19,456 for southeast region theater students.
The low undergrad 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%.
With a ranking of #7, Western Carolina University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, this fairly large public school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,924 for Southeast Region Theater students per year to attend WCU.
Full Western Carolina University Drama & Theater Arts Report
University of Florida landed the #8 spot on the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
UF also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $5,135 for Southeast Region Theater students per year to attend UF.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of North Carolina School of the Arts ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region list. UNCSA is a public institution located in Winston Salem, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 91 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNCSA also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $13,276 for Southeast Region Theater students per year to attend UNCSA.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of North Carolina School of the Arts Drama & Theater Arts Report
East Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #10. East Tennessee State University is located in Johnson City, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend ETSU is $12,894 for southeast region theater students.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at East Tennessee State University
University of Memphis did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #11. UofM is a large public school situated in Memphis, Tennessee. It awarded 27 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Memphis is $13,904 for Southeast Region Theater students.
With a ranking of #12, University of New Orleans did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region list. New Orleans, Louisiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 51 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UNO is $12,140 for Southeast Region Theater students.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of New Orleans
University of Georgia landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UGA also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $14,257 for southeast region theater students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Arkansas State University - Main Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region list. Arkansas State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,189 for Southeast Region Theater students per year to attend Arkansas State University - Main Campus.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 58 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $11,629 for southeast region theater students per year to attend UNC Greensboro.
Full University of North Carolina at Greensboro Drama & Theater Arts Report
University of Arkansas ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region list. University of Arkansas is a public institution located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UARK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $16,507 for southeast region theater students per year to attend UARK.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, 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 undergraduate students.
Liberty University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 24 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Liberty University is $29,382 for southeast region theater students.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Liberty University
Florida International University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #18. Florida International University is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $5,298 for Southeast Region Theater students.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Florida International University
With a ranking of #19, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region list. Appalachian State University is a public institution located in Boone, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State University is $13,989 for Southeast Region Theater students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Appalachian State University
University of Alabama at Birmingham did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #20. UAB is a large school located in Birmingham, Alabama that handed out 10 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Alabama at Birmingham is $16,530 for southeast region theater students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Alabama at Birmingham Drama & Theater Arts Report
University of Central Florida ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 93 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,618 for southeast region theater students per year to attend UCF.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #22, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 28 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $8,346 for southeast region theater students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, 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 90%.
University of Central Arkansas ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in Conway, Arkansas, this fairly large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Arkansas is $16,554 for Southeast Region Theater students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Virginia Tech ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region list. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $21,301 for southeast region theater students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Freed-Hardeman University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region list. This small school is located in Henderson, Tennessee, and it awarded 5 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend FHU is $17,152 for Southeast Region Theater students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Freed-Hardeman University
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
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