2027 Best Value Musical Theater Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
[Musical Theater](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/drama-and-theater-arts/musical-theater/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for musical theater students.
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2027 Best Value Musical Theater Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in musical theater, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Musical Theater Schools
Our analysis ranked Suny At Fredonia the best value for a degree in musical theater in the Middle Atlantic Region. Suny At Fredonia is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Fredonia. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,831, while out-of-state students pay about $19,771. Typical student debt for musical theater graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, musical theater degree recipients from Suny At Fredonia generally make around $20,453. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Suny At Purchase College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value musical theater schools. Suny At Purchase College is a mid-sized public school located in the suburb of Purchase. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,016, while out-of-state students pay about $19,266. Typical student debt for musical theater graduates is $26,000. Early-career musical theater graduates make about $18,090. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Suny At Purchase College admits about 74% of applicants.
Manhattanville College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value musical theater schools. Set in the suburb of Purchase, Manhattanville College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $44,604. Musical Theater graduates carry a median of $25,372 in student loans. Early-career musical theater graduates make about $46,551. That is a strong return on a $25,372 median debt. Manhattanville College admits about 87% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University At Buffalo earned it the #4 place for musical theater. Set in the suburb of Buffalo, University At Buffalo is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,936 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $31,536. Students borrow a median of $26,637 to complete the musical theater program here. Early-career musical theater graduates make about $25,810. Set against $26,637 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University At Buffalo admits about 74% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Suny At Binghamton earned it the #5 place for musical theater. Set in the suburb of Vestal, Suny At Binghamton is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,567 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $30,447. Musical Theater graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, musical theater degree recipients from Suny At Binghamton generally make around $18,920. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Suny At Binghamton admits about 39% of applicants.
Point Park University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value musical theater schools. Point Park University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $39,570. Typical student debt for musical theater graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, musical theater degree recipients from Point Park University generally make around $25,301. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Point Park University admits about 97% of applicants.
Temple University came in at #7 for value in musical theater this year. Temple University is a very large public school located in the city of Philadelphia. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $23,005, with out-of-state students paying around $38,805. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the musical theater program here. Early-career musical theater graduates make about $19,269. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Pace University New York ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value musical theater schools. Set in the city of New York, Pace University New York is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $53,510. Typical student debt for musical theater graduates is $27,000. Early-career musical theater graduates make about $17,946. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 76%.
Ithaca College ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value musical theater schools. Ithaca College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Ithaca. Students from in state pay about $52,616 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for musical theater graduates is $26,000. Soon after graduation, musical theater degree recipients from Ithaca College generally make around $18,243. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 69%.
Marymount Manhattan College landed the #10 spot for musical theater value this year. Set in the city of New York, Marymount Manhattan College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $41,870. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the musical theater program here. Soon after graduation, musical theater degree recipients from Marymount Manhattan College generally make around $19,562. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
Syracuse University earned the #11 position for value in musical theater this year. Located in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $65,528 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for musical theater graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, musical theater degree recipients from Syracuse University generally make around $20,988. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 46% of applicants are accepted.
American Musical And Dramatic Academy ranked #12 on our 2027 list of the best value musical theater schools. Set in the city of New York, American Musical And Dramatic Academy is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $46,928. Students borrow a median of $17,000 to complete the musical theater program here. Musical Theater graduates of American Musical And Dramatic Academy earn a median of $16,900 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 24%.
American University earned the #13 position for value in musical theater this year. American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,771. Typical student debt for musical theater graduates is $24,989. Early-career musical theater graduates make about $23,979. Set against $24,989 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 62%.
Manhattan School Of Music ranked #14 on our 2027 list of the best value musical theater schools. Located in the city of New York, Manhattan School Of Music is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $57,050. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the musical theater program here. Soon after graduation, musical theater degree recipients from Manhattan School Of Music generally make around $29,400. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 41%.
The New School placed #15 among the best values for musical theater. The New School is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $58,730. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the musical theater program here. Early-career musical theater graduates make about $21,335. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 64%.
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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 · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 15 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.
