2026 Best Value Theater Design & Technology Schools in Washington

[Theater Design & Technology](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/drama-and-theater-arts/theater-design-and-technology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong theater design & technology education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value theater design & technology schools.
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2026 Best Value Theater Design & Technology Schools in Washington
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the theater design & technology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Theater Design & Technology Schools
University Of Washington Seattle Campus tops our 2026 list of the best value theater design & technology schools in Washington. Located in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,973 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $43,209. Students borrow a median of $15,638 to complete the theater design & technology program here. Early-career theater design & technology graduates make about $65,681. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Washington Seattle Campus admits about 39% of applicants.
Central Washington University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value theater design & technology schools. Set in the town of Ellensburg, Central Washington University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,417, while out-of-state students pay about $27,526. Theater Design & Technology graduates carry a median of $24,752 in student loans. Theater Design & Technology graduates of Central Washington University earn a median of $24,674 early in their careers. Set against $24,752 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 91%.
A rank of #3 makes Cornish College Of The Arts one of the best values for theater design & technology. Set in the city of Seattle, Cornish College Of The Arts is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $41,684 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the theater design & technology program here. Theater Design & Technology graduates of Cornish College Of The Arts earn a median of $19,045 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Cornish College Of The Arts admits about 62% of applicants.
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.