2027 Best Value Musical Theater Schools in Ohio
[Musical Theater](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/drama-and-theater-arts/musical-theater/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for musical theater students.
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2027 Best Value Musical Theater Schools in Ohio
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the musical theater degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Musical Theater Schools
Leading the list is Otterbein University, our #1 best value for musical theater in Ohio. Located in the suburb of Westerville, Otterbein University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $35,548. Students borrow a median of $26,822 to complete the musical theater program here. Musical Theater graduates of Otterbein University earn a median of $12,546 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,822 median debt. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Kent State University At Kent earned it the #2 place for musical theater. Kent State University At Kent is a very large public school located in the suburb of Kent. In-state tuition and fees average $12,220, with out-of-state students paying around $21,575. Musical Theater graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career musical theater graduates make about $24,565. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Ohio University Main Campus came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value musical theater schools. Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the town of Athens. Students from in state pay about $14,158 in tuition and fees, compared with $24,838 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,750 to complete the musical theater program here. Early-career musical theater graduates make about $19,286. Set against $22,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 85%.
A rank of #4 makes Baldwin Wallace College one of the best values for musical theater. Located in the suburb of Berea, Baldwin Wallace College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $39,832 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for musical theater graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, musical theater degree recipients from Baldwin Wallace College generally make around $16,055. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Baldwin Wallace College admits about 76% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Xavier University one of the best values for musical theater. Xavier University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cincinnati. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $49,425. Musical Theater graduates carry a median of $26,614 in student loans. Soon after graduation, musical theater degree recipients from Xavier University generally make around $55,045. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Xavier University admits about 86% of applicants.
More Musical Theater Rankings
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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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
