2027 Best Value Theatre Literature, History & Criticism Schools
[Theatre Literature, History & Criticism](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/drama-and-theater-arts/theatre-literature-history-and-criticism/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong theatre literature, history & criticism education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for theatre literature, history & criticism students.
What’s on this page:
Finding the Best Value Theatre Literature, History & Criticism School for You
The right theatre literature, history & criticism school can pay off for years to come. To help, we created our Best Value Theatre Literature, History & Criticism Schools ranking. It weighs the cost of a degree against the outcomes graduates go on to achieve, so you can find the strongest return on your investment.
See how we build our rankings
Customize Your Rankings
We offer a number of rankings, including this Best Value Theatre Literature, History & Criticism Schools list, to help you decide. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about our methodology
2027 Best Value Theatre Literature, History & Criticism Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in theatre literature, history & criticism, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Theatre Literature, History & Criticism Schools
University Of Washington Seattle Campus earned the #1 spot for value among theatre literature, history & criticism schools in the United States. University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Seattle. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,973, while out-of-state students pay about $43,209. Theatre Literature, History & Criticism graduates carry a median of $15,638 in student loans. Soon after graduation, theatre literature, history & criticism degree recipients from University Of Washington Seattle Campus generally make around $65,681. That is a strong return on a $15,638 median debt. Roughly 39% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Maryland College Park came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value theatre literature, history & criticism schools. University Of Maryland College Park is a very large public school located in the suburb of College Park. In-state tuition and fees average $11,809, while out-of-state students pay about $41,186. Theatre Literature, History & Criticism graduates carry a median of $20,681 in student loans. Theatre Literature, History & Criticism graduates of University Of Maryland College Park earn a median of $17,985 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,681 median debt. University Of Maryland College Park admits about 45% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in theatre literature, history & criticism will find it at Western Michigan University, which ranked #3. Western Michigan University is a large public school located in the city of Kalamazoo. In-state tuition and fees average $15,987, with out-of-state students paying around $19,952. Typical student debt for theatre literature, history & criticism graduates is $26,950. Early-career theatre literature, history & criticism graduates make about $48,966. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Albright College came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value theatre literature, history & criticism schools. Albright College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Reading. Students from in state pay about $29,082 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for theatre literature, history & criticism graduates is $28,958. Theatre Literature, History & Criticism graduates of Albright College earn a median of $38,075 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 76%.
Students looking for strong value in theatre literature, history & criticism will find it at Yale University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of New Haven, Yale University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $67,250 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for theatre literature, history & criticism graduates is $14,357. Early-career theatre literature, history & criticism graduates make about $74,578. Set against $14,357 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.
Northwestern University placed #6 among the best values for theatre literature, history & criticism. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,322. Students borrow a median of $17,000 to complete the theatre literature, history & criticism program here. Early-career theatre literature, history & criticism graduates make about $78,551. That is a strong return on a $17,000 median debt. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
Depaul University landed the #7 spot for theatre literature, history & criticism value this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $45,405. Students borrow a median of $26,348 to complete the theatre literature, history & criticism program here. Early-career theatre literature, history & criticism graduates make about $23,592. Set against $26,348 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Depaul University admits about 76% of applicants.
Bennington College landed the #8 spot for theatre literature, history & criticism value this year. Bennington College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Bennington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $66,262. Typical student debt for theatre literature, history & criticism graduates is $26,445. Early-career theatre literature, history & criticism graduates make about $29,031. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Bennington College admits about 44% of applicants.
Marymount Manhattan College landed the #9 spot for theatre literature, history & criticism value this year. Marymount Manhattan College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,870. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the theatre literature, history & criticism program here. Theatre Literature, History & Criticism graduates of Marymount Manhattan College earn a median of $30,533 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Marymount Manhattan College admits about 83% of applicants.
Clark Atlanta University earned the #10 position for value in theatre literature, history & criticism this year. Clark Atlanta University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Atlanta. Students from in state pay about $28,310 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,803 to complete the theatre literature, history & criticism program here. Theatre Literature, History & Criticism graduates of Clark Atlanta University earn a median of $28,748 early in their careers. Set against $27,803 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 64%.
Elon University came in at #11 for value in theatre literature, history & criticism this year. Elon University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Elon. Students from in state pay about $46,958 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $21,619 to complete the theatre literature, history & criticism program here. Soon after graduation, theatre literature, history & criticism degree recipients from Elon University generally make around $50,463. That is a strong return on a $21,619 median debt. Roughly 66% of applicants are accepted.
Narrow Theatre Literature, History & Criticism Schools by Region
View All Rankings >
Theatre Literature, History & Criticism Related Rankings by Major
Explore other best-value rankings in majors related to Theatre Literature, History & Criticism. See all related rankings.
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 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.
