by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for drama & theater arts students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 648 bachelor's degrees in drama & theater arts during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The theater bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for drama & theater arts students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region 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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for drama & theater arts students seeking a a bachelor's degree.
University of Iowa is a good choice for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the theater program make around $22,225 for their early career.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Iowa
It is difficult to beat University of Minnesota - Twin Cities if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the theater program report average early career income of $19,982.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
It is hard to beat St Olaf College if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the town of Northfield, St. Olaf is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from St Olaf College
It's difficult to beat Webster University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. Webster is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis.
After graduating, theater bachelor's recipients usually earn an average of $13,182 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Webster University
Located in the small city of Saint Charles, Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.
Those drama & theater arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Lindenwood University earn $2,422 more than the standard theater student.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Lindenwood University
UNI is a moderately-sized public university located in the city of Cedar Falls.
After graduation, theater bachelor's recipients typically earn an average of $22,289 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Northern Iowa
Located in the midsize city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Missouri - Columbia
Located in the city of Lincoln, UNL is a public university with a very large student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the theater program state that they receive average early career income of $21,627.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Missouri State is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the theater program report average early career income of $22,369.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Missouri State University - Springfield
Located in the small city of Lawrence, KU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Kansas
Explore the best drama & theater arts colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 228 | 238 |
| Minnesota | 215 | 208 |
| Iowa | 197 | 129 |
| Kansas | 184 | 85 |
| Nebraska | 180 | 99 |
| North Dakota | 149 | 9 |
| South Dakota | 148 | 30 |
One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Drama & Theater Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Theater Arts | 473 |
| Acting | 44 |
| Musical Theater | 42 |
| Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft | 28 |
| Playwriting & Screenwriting | 26 |
| Theater Design & Technology | 17 |
| Theatre and Dance | 8 |
| Directing & Theatrical Production | 6 |
| Costume Design | 4 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Design & Applied Arts | 1,410 |
| Fine & Studio Arts | 1,347 |
| Music | 858 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 452 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 222 |
| Dance | 76 |
| Arts & Media Management | 44 |
| Other Visual Art | 4 |
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