2027 Best Value Theatre And Dance Schools
[Theatre And Dance](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/drama-and-theater-arts/theatre-and-dance/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong theatre and dance education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for theatre and dance students.
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Finding the Best Value Theatre And Dance School for You
The theatre and dance program you select can have a big impact on your finances and your future. That is why we built our Best Value Theatre And Dance Schools ranking. We score each school on the balance of tuition, student debt, and post-graduation earnings to surface the best value.
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We offer a number of rankings, including this Best Value Theatre And Dance Schools list, to help you decide. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
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2027 Best Value Theatre And Dance Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the theatre and dance degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Theatre And Dance Schools
For return on investment in theatre and dance, no school beat Modesto Junior College this year. Modesto Junior College is a very large public school located in the city of Modesto. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $1,282, while out-of-state students pay about $9,264. Typical student debt for theatre and dance graduates is $8,575. Theatre And Dance graduates of Modesto Junior College earn a median of $36,525 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Wyoming one of the best values for theatre and dance. Set in the town of Laramie, University Of Wyoming is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,768 in tuition and fees, compared with $24,178 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,500 to complete the theatre and dance program here. Early-career theatre and dance graduates make about $26,053. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a great value for students pursuing a degree in theatre and dance, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,092. Students borrow a median of $26,010 to complete the theatre and dance program here. Soon after graduation, theatre and dance degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville generally make around $16,892. Set against $26,010 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Hawaii At Manoa one of the best values for theatre and dance. Set in the city of Honolulu, University Of Hawaii At Manoa is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,186, with out-of-state students paying around $34,218. Theatre And Dance graduates carry a median of $20,577 in student loans. Theatre And Dance graduates of University Of Hawaii At Manoa earn a median of $48,181 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 87%.
A rank of #5 makes The University Of Texas At Austin one of the best values for theatre and dance. Set in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,688, with out-of-state students paying around $44,908. Theatre And Dance graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career theatre and dance graduates make about $38,346. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 27%.
Rowan University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value theatre and dance schools. Rowan University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Glassboro. In-state tuition and fees average $16,574, while out-of-state students pay about $26,932. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the theatre and dance program here. Theatre And Dance graduates of Rowan University earn a median of $18,558 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
