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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Theater Arts in the Great Lakes Region

87 Ranked Colleges
1,423 Degrees Awarded
$15,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 11,561 people earned their degree in theater arts, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,555 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,423 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 87 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Theater Arts Schools

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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Theater Arts in the Great Lakes Region

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. UW - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also took the #6 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Theater Arts Report

#22 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#16 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend UW - Whitewater.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Theater Arts Report

#4

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#21 in overall quality

Out of the 87 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #4 spot on the list. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 30 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Full UW - Stevens Point Theater Arts Report

#18 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. UW - Eau Claire is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

UW - Eau Claire not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,020 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.

Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Theater Arts Report

#6

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#7

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Read more about Theater Arts at Eastern Illinois University

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Read more about Theater Arts at UW - Green Bay

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Illinois State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students list, Illinois State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.

The low 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 Theater Arts at Illinois State University

University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,327 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside.

Read full report on Theater Arts at UW - Parkside

#11

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Read more about Theater Arts at Northern Illinois University

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Read more about Theater Arts at WIU

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#15

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Southern Indiana is a fairly large school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 22 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Indiana is $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at USI

#16

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.

Full Eastern Michigan Theater Arts Report

#17

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at GVSU

#18

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $11,947 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Read more about Theater Arts at Youngstown State University

Kent State University at Kent came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $18,885 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Read more about Theater Arts at Kent State University at Kent

#20

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. UWM is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 26 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Full UWM Theater Arts Report

#21

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#8 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Purdue Theater Arts Report

#11 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UC also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $21,843 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Theater Arts Report

#23

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Purdue University Fort Wayne is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Fort Wayne is $10,912 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Purdue University Fort Wayne

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. BGSU is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,394 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

#25

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Ball State

Wright State University - Main Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wright State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Wright State University - Main Campus is $16,823 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Full Wright State University - Main Campus Theater Arts Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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