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2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

89 Ranked Colleges
2,424 Degrees Awarded
$7,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in the Southeast Region 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.

Across the Southeast region, there were 2,424 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 89 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in theater arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great theater arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the theater arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $371 for southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 Duke University Theater Arts Report

2
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 68 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $65 for southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UNCSA is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNCSA, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina School of the Arts is $5,766 for southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full University of North Carolina School of the Arts Theater Arts Report

4
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Vanderbilt is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 6 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $3,176 for Southeast Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.

Full Vanderbilt University Theater Arts Report

5
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 114 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $4,950 for southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 full report on Theater Arts at Florida State

6

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $3,753 for southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 95%.

Read more about Theater Arts at UNC Chapel Hill

7
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, UGA has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $8,303 for southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UGA Theater Arts Report

8
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Emory has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Emory is $8,538 for southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Theater Arts at Emory

9
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 11 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $12,476 for southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Theater Arts at University of Virginia - Main Campus

10

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 93 students in 2020-2021.

UCF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $4,468 for southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Central Florida.

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 freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Theater Arts at UCF

11

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USF Tampa is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $4,176 for Southeast Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.

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 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at University of South Florida - Main Campus

12
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k 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.

Virginia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $11,934 for Southeast Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at Virginia Tech

13
Converse crest
Converse College
Spartanburg, South Carolina

With a ranking of #13, Converse College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Converse College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It awarded 5 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $20,672 for southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Converse.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Converse College

14

With a ranking of #14, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. FIU is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,196 for southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida International University.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at Florida International University

15

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this large public school handed out 35 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Louisiana State University, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $11,318 for southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, 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 full report on Theater Arts at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

16

With a ranking of #16, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Greensboro, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Greensboro also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $7,645 for Southeast Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of North Carolina at Greensboro Theater Arts Report

17
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UK is a large public school situated in Lexington, Kentucky. It awarded 26 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

UK also took the #13 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Kentucky is $12,593 for Southeast Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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 86%.

Read more about Theater Arts at University of Kentucky

18

The University of West Florida ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Pensacola, Florida, and it awarded 12 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend The University of West Florida is $4,288 for Southeast Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Theater Arts at The University of West Florida

19
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Highland Heights, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 64 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,632 for southeast region theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Kentucky University.

Full Northern Kentucky University Theater Arts Report

20
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Appalachian State is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 29 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,354 for Southeast Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Appalachian State.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Appalachian State University Theater Arts Report

21

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Knoxville also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend UT Knoxville is $10,433 for Southeast Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

22
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Morgantown, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for WVU is $10,014 for Southeast Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Theater Arts at WVU

23
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Florida Atlantic University is located in Boca Raton, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,726 for Southeast Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FAU.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at FAU

24
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

With a ranking of #24, University of Arkansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UARK is a large school located in Fayetteville, Arkansas that handed out 32 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

UARK not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UARK is $12,003 for Southeast Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Theater Arts at UARK

25
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. James Madison University is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

JMU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for JMU is $14,288 for Southeast Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at JMU

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