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2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

401 Ranked Colleges
11,385 Degrees Awarded
$5,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 11,385 people earned their degree in theater arts, making the major the 70th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 401 colleges that offered a degree in theater arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent theater arts programs, but they also 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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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Theater Arts (Income $30-$48k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Out of the 401 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Duke is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Duke also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Duke is $-927 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Theater Arts at Duke

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

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 $30-$48k. Northwestern University 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.

Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $917 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 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.

Full Northwestern University Theater Arts Report

3
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Out of the 401 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #3 spot on the list. Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Yale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Yale University is $3,083 for theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Theater Arts at Yale University

4

Out of the 401 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #4 spot on the list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.

Columbia also took the #15 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,699 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%. 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.

Read more about Theater Arts at Columbia University in the City of New York

5
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dartmouth College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, New Hampshire. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, Dartmouth has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,718 for theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dartmouth College.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Dartmouth College Theater Arts Report

6

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #8 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,670 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

7
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

With a ranking of #7, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 68 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UF 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 $2,857 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UF.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. 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

8
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Williamstown, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Williams also did well on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Williams is $5,480 for theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Williams College

9

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,788 for theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%.

Read more about Theater Arts at University of Wisconsin - Madison

10
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Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Purdue 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 yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,853 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 93%.

Read more about Theater Arts at Purdue

11
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Brown University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 22 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Brown also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Brown University is $2,842 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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. 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%.

Full Brown Theater Arts Report

12

Washington University in St Louis came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also claimed a top spot on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It costs about $2,446 for theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Read more about Theater Arts at WUSTL

13
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Florida State is also in the top of our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $7,349 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 full report on Theater Arts at Florida State

14

With a ranking of #14, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $9,999 for theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 University of California - Berkeley

15

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It costs about $6,399 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW Seattle.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

Full UW Seattle Theater Arts Report

16
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 5 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UPenn also did well on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It costs about $1,938 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at University of Pennsylvania

17

With a ranking of #17, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bloomington, Indiana 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 it offers, IU Bloomington 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. It costs about $7,061 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

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 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%.

Read more about Theater Arts at IU Bloomington

18
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts

Wellesley College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wellesley is a small school located in Wellesley, Massachusetts that handed out 3 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Wellesley is $8,021 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Theater Arts at Wellesley

19

With a ranking of #19, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 26 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNC Chapel Hill is also in the top of our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $5,729 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at UNC Chapel Hill

20
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 6 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt excels when it comes to theater quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $4,652 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full Vanderbilt University Theater Arts Report

21

With a ranking of #21, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 87 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCLA has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,891 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 University of California - Los Angeles Theater Arts Report

22
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hunter College is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $2,135 for theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Theater Arts at Hunter College

23
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 7 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Emory also took the #10 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emory is $8,976 for theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 full report on Theater Arts at Emory University

24
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #24, Tufts University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 12 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

Tufts also claimed a top spot on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Tufts University is $7,987 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read more about Theater Arts at Tufts University

25
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Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Poughkeepsie, New York, and it awarded 20 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Vassar 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. The yearly cost to attend Vassar College is $13,193 for Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Vassar College

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
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Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
28
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30
31
32
33
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Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York
34
35
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Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
36
37
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University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
38
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Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
39
40
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Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania
41
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University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
42
43
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45
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University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
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47
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Queens College
Queens, New York
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50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Theater Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
52The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX
53University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
54California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA
55Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI
56The University of West FloridaPensacola, FL
57University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
58University of North TexasDenton, TX
59University of Virginia - Main CampusCharlottesville, VA
60University of California - Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA
61Sinclair Community CollegeDayton, OH

Notes and References

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