2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Musical Theater (Income $30-$48k)
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 935 people earned their degree in musical theater, making the major the 489th most popular in the United States.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 851 musical theater graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 72 colleges that offered a degree in musical theater. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent musical theater programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the musical theater program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
The musical theatre school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Musical Theater (Income $30-$48k)
Out of the 72 schools in the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 21 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,887 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Out of the 72 schools in the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #2 spot on the list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
UC Irvine also took the #5 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $10,373 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 14 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $6,192 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 72 schools in the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arizona landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Arizona is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.
University of Arizona also made our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $11,466 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Musical Theater at University of Arizona
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Oakland University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Oakland University is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 16 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $7,751 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
Texas State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Texas State is a large school located in San Marcos, Texas that handed out 11 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,292 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas State University.
SUNY Fredonia landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fredonia, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
SUNY Fredonia also took the #6 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Fredonia is $11,935 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #8, West Texas A&M University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. West Texas A&M University is located in Canyon, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k list, West Texas A&M University has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for West Texas A&M University is $10,146 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
Sam Houston State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. SHSU is a large school located in Huntsville, Texas that handed out 19 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SHSU is $11,634 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a ranking of #10, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k list, UND has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $11,916 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Musical Theater at University of North Dakota
University of Central Missouri came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Central Missouri is a medium-sized public school situated in Warrensburg, Missouri. It awarded 6 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Missouri is $12,022 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
Lycoming College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lycoming is a small school located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania that handed out 1 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,089 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lycoming.
With a ranking of #13, Otterbein University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Otterbein is a private not-for-profit institution located in Westerville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Otterbein, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,236 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Otterbein University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Weber State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Weber State University is located in Ogden, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $10,980 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend WSU.
Central Michigan University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Central Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 5 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,127 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Central Michigan University.
Read more about Musical Theater at Central Michigan University
Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. This medium-sized school is located in Moorhead, Minnesota, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend MSU Moorhead is $12,279 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Minnesota State University - Moorhead Musical Theater Report
With a ranking of #17, Taylor University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Taylor University is located in Upland, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.
Taylor U also made our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Taylor U is $21,171 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Central Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large school is located in Ellensburg, Washington, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Central Washington University is $11,423 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Musical Theater at Central Washington University
With a ranking of #19, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Chico is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $11,576 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Chico Musical Theater Report
With a ranking of #20, Viterbo University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Viterbo University is a small school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 11 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Viterbo University is $17,042 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Manhattanville College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Purchase, New York, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.
Manhattanville also made our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Manhattanville College is $18,702 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s musical theatre students in 2019-2020.
University of Oklahoma also took the #18 spot in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $17,285 for bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Musical Theater Report
Purchase College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Purchase, New York, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.
Purchase College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $16,699 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purchase College.
With a ranking of #24, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kent State University at Kent is a large school located in Kent, Ohio that handed out 10 bachelors’s musical theatre degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Kent State University at Kent is $15,374 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Musical Theater at Kent State University at Kent
Syracuse University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Musical Theatre Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Syracuse, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s musical theatre students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree musical theatre students whose families make $30-$48k list, Syracuse has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Musical Theater Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $21,360 for Bachelor’s Degree Musical Theatre students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Syracuse University.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Donald Judge.
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