2027 Best Value Theater Design & Technology Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
[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. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 17 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for theater design & technology students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Theater Design & Technology Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
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
Leading the list is Cuny Queensborough Community College, our #1 best value for theater design & technology in the Middle Atlantic Region. Set in the city of Bayside, Cuny Queensborough Community College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,210, with out-of-state students paying around $8,090. Students borrow a median of $10,052 to complete the theater design & technology program here. Soon after graduation, theater design & technology degree recipients from Cuny Queensborough Community College generally make around $23,674. That is a strong return on a $10,052 median debt.
Nassau Community College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value theater design & technology schools. Located in the suburb of Garden City, Nassau Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,330, with out-of-state students paying around $12,130. Theater Design & Technology graduates carry a median of $11,850 in student loans. Theater Design & Technology graduates of Nassau Community College earn a median of $38,734 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Cuny New York City College Of Technology earned it the #3 place for theater design & technology. Located in the city of Brooklyn, Cuny New York City College Of Technology is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $7,332 in tuition and fees, compared with $15,282 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for theater design & technology graduates is $6,000. Soon after graduation, theater design & technology degree recipients from Cuny New York City College Of Technology generally make around $14,799. That is a strong return on a $6,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Students looking for strong value in theater design & technology will find it at University Of Maryland College Park, which ranked #4. University Of Maryland College Park is a very large public school located in the suburb of College Park. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,809, compared with $41,186 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for theater design & technology graduates is $20,681. Soon after graduation, theater design & technology degree recipients from University Of Maryland College Park generally make around $17,985. Set against $20,681 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 45% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Kean University earned it the #5 place for theater design & technology. Set in the suburb of Union, Kean University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,299 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $22,446. Theater Design & Technology graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career theater design & technology graduates make about $48,705. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
Suny At Fredonia came in at #6 for value in theater design & technology this year. Set in the town of Fredonia, Suny At Fredonia is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,831, compared with $19,771 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for theater design & technology graduates is $27,000. Early-career theater design & technology graduates make about $20,453. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Suny At Purchase College ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value theater design & technology schools. Located in the suburb of Purchase, Suny At Purchase College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $9,016 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $19,266. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the theater design & technology program here. Soon after graduation, theater design & technology degree recipients from Suny At Purchase College generally make around $18,090. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Suny At Purchase College admits about 74% of applicants.
Millersville University Of Pennsylvania ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value theater design & technology schools. Located in the suburb of Millersville, Millersville University Of Pennsylvania is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,128, compared with $22,952 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for theater design & technology graduates is $26,486. Early-career theater design & technology graduates make about $47,049. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Suny At Binghamton came in at #9 for value in theater design & technology this year. Located in the suburb of Vestal, Suny At Binghamton is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,567, compared with $30,447 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,500 to complete the theater design & technology program here. Early-career theater design & technology graduates make about $18,920. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Suny At Binghamton admits about 39% of applicants.
Temple University ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value theater design & technology schools. Temple University is a very large public school located in the city of Philadelphia. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $23,005, with out-of-state students paying around $38,805. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the theater design & technology program here. Early-career theater design & technology graduates make about $19,269. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Nazareth College landed the #11 spot for theater design & technology value this year. Nazareth College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Rochester. In-state tuition and fees average $42,210. Theater Design & Technology graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Theater Design & Technology graduates of Nazareth College earn a median of $23,511 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Nazareth College admits about 75% of applicants.
Carnegie Mellon University landed the #12 spot for theater design & technology value this year. Set in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $65,636 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the theater design & technology program here. Soon after graduation, theater design & technology degree recipients from Carnegie Mellon University generally make around $89,327. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 12%.
Pennsylvania State University Main Campus landed the #13 spot for theater design & technology value this year. Located in the city of University Park, Pennsylvania State University Main Campus is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $20,644, with out-of-state students paying around $41,790. Typical student debt for theater design & technology graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, theater design & technology degree recipients from Pennsylvania State University Main Campus generally make around $27,886. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Pennsylvania State University Main Campus admits about 61% of applicants.
Ithaca College ranked #14 on our 2027 list of the best value theater design & technology schools. Ithaca College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Ithaca. In-state tuition and fees average $52,616. Typical student debt for theater design & technology graduates is $26,000. Early-career theater design & technology graduates make about $18,243. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Marymount Manhattan College landed the #15 spot for theater design & technology value this year. Marymount Manhattan College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $41,870. Typical student debt for theater design & technology graduates is $27,000. Theater Design & Technology graduates of Marymount Manhattan College earn a median of $19,562 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
New York University placed #16 among the best values for theater design & technology. Set in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $62,796 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $21,762 to complete the theater design & technology program here. Theater Design & Technology graduates of New York University earn a median of $32,829 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,762 median debt. New York University admits about 9% of applicants.
Syracuse University ranked #17 on our 2027 list of the best value theater design & technology schools. Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Syracuse. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,528. Typical student debt for theater design & technology graduates is $27,000. Theater Design & Technology graduates of Syracuse University earn a median of $20,988 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Syracuse University admits about 46% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 17 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.
