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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Theater Arts in Pennsylvania

23 Ranked Colleges
350 Degrees Awarded
$24,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Pennsylvania” 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 Pennsylvania, there were 397 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 350 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer 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.

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Pennsylvania” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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 Pennsylvania

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

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Theater Arts in Pennsylvania

#1

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. SRU is a medium-sized public school situated in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. It awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

SRU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $19,926 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

Read more about Theater Arts at SRU

#2

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
#16 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Bloomsburg is a public institution located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bloomsburg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $20,230 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Full Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Theater Arts Report

#3

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania
#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. This fairly large school is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

WCUPA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $22,495 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend WCUPA.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at WCUPA

#4

California University of Pennsylvania

California, Pennsylvania
#19 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. California University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in California, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal U also took the #19 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California University of Pennsylvania is $18,154 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Full California University of Pennsylvania Theater Arts Report

#5

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
#21 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

East Stroudsburg University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $19,855 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Read full report on Theater Arts at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

#6

Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Clarion, Pennsylvania
#20 in overall quality

Clarion University of Pennsylvania landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Clarion University is a public institution located in Clarion, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Clarion University also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Clarion University of Pennsylvania is $20,011 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students.

Read more about Theater Arts at Clarion University of Pennsylvania

#8 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Pitt is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Pitt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $27,938 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Theater Arts at Pitt

#23 in overall quality

Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #8. Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Indiana, Pennsylvania. It awarded 14 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

IUP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is $22,448 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students.

Read more about Theater Arts at IUP

#9

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

York College of Pennsylvania came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. York, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

YCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend YCP is $20,652 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full YCP Theater Arts Report

#10

Albright College

Reading, Pennsylvania
#22 in overall quality

Albright College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Albright College is located in Reading, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Albright, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Albright is $19,469 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Read more about Theater Arts at Albright College

#11

Point Park University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

Point Park University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #11. Point Park is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Point Park, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $21,470 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Point Park.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Point Park University

#12

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

Messiah University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Messiah is located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Messiah not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $28,141 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Messiah University.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Messiah Theater Arts Report

#13

DeSales University

Center Valley, Pennsylvania
#12 in overall quality

DeSales University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. DeSales is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. It awarded 38 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

DeSales also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend DeSales is $28,309 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full DeSales Theater Arts Report

#14

Marywood University

Scranton, Pennsylvania
#18 in overall quality

Marywood University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Marywood University is a small school located in Scranton, Pennsylvania that handed out 1 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Marywood also took the #18 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Marywood is $22,236 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Marywood Theater Arts Report

#15

Cedar Crest College

Allentown, Pennsylvania
#14 in overall quality

Cedar Crest College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. This small school is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Cedar Crest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $21,520 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Cedar Crest.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Theater Arts at Cedar Crest College

#16

Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#13 in overall quality

Duquesne University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Duquesne University is a medium-sized school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 4 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Duquesne also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Duquesne is $29,309 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Duquesne University Theater Arts Report

#17

Arcadia University

Glenside, Pennsylvania
#17 in overall quality

Arcadia University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Arcadia University is located in Glenside, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Arcadia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Arcadia is $27,189 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Arcadia University

#18

Muhlenberg College

Allentown, Pennsylvania
#5 in overall quality

Muhlenberg College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #18. Allentown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 75 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Muhlenberg, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Muhlenberg is $27,285 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Theater Arts at Muhlenberg

#19

Susquehanna University

Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania
#9 in overall quality

Susquehanna University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Susquehanna also took the #9 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $25,724 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Susquehanna University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Susquehanna University Theater Arts Report

#20

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

Lafayette College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Lafayette is a small school located in Easton, Pennsylvania that handed out 4 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Lafayette also took the #2 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette is $32,551 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Lafayette College

#21

Dickinson College

Carlisle, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

Dickinson College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #21. Dickinson is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Dickinson not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $29,452 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Dickinson.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Dickinson College

#22

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#1 in overall quality

Carnegie Mellon University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. This fairly large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Carnegie Mellon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $34,508 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Carnegie Mellon.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low 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%.

Full Carnegie Mellon Theater Arts Report

#23

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. UPenn is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $25,802 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UPenn 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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