2023 Best Value Colleges for Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k)
401
Ranked Colleges
11,385
Degrees Awarded
$4,600
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 11,385 people earned their degree in theater arts, making the major the 70th most popular in the United States.
For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 401 colleges that offer a degree in theater arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality theater arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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 theater arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Theater Arts Schools
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 Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
Duke also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $371 for theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read full report on Theater Arts at Duke
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 106 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $245 for theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Northwestern University Theater Arts Report
Out of the 401 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brown University landed the #3 spot on the list. Brown is a fairly large school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 22 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Brown has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,468 for theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brown.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Theater Arts at Brown University
Out of the 401 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #4 spot on the list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.
U-M also took the #8 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $2,670 for Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Theater Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.
Yale also took the #16 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Yale University is $961 for Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Yale University Theater Arts Report
University of Florida landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 68 students in 2020-2021.
UF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $65 for Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 97%.
Full University of Florida Theater Arts Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 26 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $3,981 for theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Madison.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Theater Arts at UW - Madison
With a ranking of #8, University of North Carolina School of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina School of the Arts is a public institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UNCSA also did well on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UNCSA is $5,766 for theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Full University of North Carolina School of the Arts Theater Arts Report
Vanderbilt University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Vanderbilt is also in the top of our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $3,176 for Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Theater Arts at Vanderbilt
Washington University in St Louis came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 13 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, WUSTL is also in the top of our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $1,556 for Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full WUSTL Theater Arts Report
Florida State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 114 students in 2020-2021.
Florida State excels when it comes to theater quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $4,950 for Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Theater Arts at Florida State University
Williams College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.
Williams excels when it comes to theater quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $1,451 for theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Williams College.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Theater Arts at Williams College
Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 13 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue also claimed a top spot on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 93%.
Full Purdue Theater Arts Report
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UNC Chapel Hill also did well on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $3,753 for Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Theater Arts at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of California - Berkeley ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #9 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,450 for Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Berkeley Theater Arts Report
University of Pennsylvania ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 5 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UPenn is also in the top of our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $580 for theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Theater Arts at University of Pennsylvania
With a ranking of #17, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington excels when it comes to theater quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It costs about $5,752 for theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Theater Arts at Indiana University - Bloomington
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UIUC also did well on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $4,858 for Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Theater Arts at UIUC
Hunter College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hunter is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 35 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $396 for theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hunter.
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%.
Read more about Theater Arts at Hunter College
With a ranking of #20, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 58 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Notre Dame is $9,872 for Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Theater Arts at University of Notre Dame
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 87 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,037 for theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 96%.
Read full report on Theater Arts at University of California - Los Angeles
California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 113 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Cal State Fullerton is in the top on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $4,590 for theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Theater Arts at Cal State Fullerton
Tufts University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.
Tufts excels when it comes to theater quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It costs about $8,122 for theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tufts University.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Theater Arts at Tufts
With a ranking of #24, Lafayette College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Easton, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Lafayette is also in the top of our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Lafayette is $11,728 for theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Theater Arts at Lafayette College
With a ranking of #25, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 50 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.
Carnegie Mellon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon University is $16,456 for theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Carnegie Mellon Theater Arts Report
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