2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Playwriting & Screenwriting (Income $0-$30k)

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 746 people earned their degree in playwriting and screenwriting, making the major the 518th most popular in the United States.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 335 playwriting and screenwriting graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 30 colleges that offer a degree in playwriting and screenwriting. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great playwriting and screenwriting programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the playwriting and screenwriting program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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More Ways to Rank Playwriting & Screenwriting Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Playwriting & Screenwriting (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Yale University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 3 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees in 2019-2020.
Yale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale are $44,500, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 12 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brown is a medium-sized school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 2 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees in 2019-2020.
Brown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Brown are $60,363.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 8 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees in 2019-2020.
Florida State also made our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #10. Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State are $26,707, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Playwriting & Screenwriting at Florida State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hunter College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in New York, New York, this large public school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified masters’s playwriting and screenwriting students in 2019-2020.
Hunter also took the #0 spot in our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter College are $20,828, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
California State University - Fullerton ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 10 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892.
Read more about Playwriting & Screenwriting at Cal State Fullerton
California State University - Northridge landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 6 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUN also took the #24 spot in our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Northridge are $17,955.
University of California - San Diego ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 3 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSD also made our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #9. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCSD are $28,631, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #9, Boston University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston U is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston U, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Boston U are $57,666.
Carnegie Mellon University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Carnegie Mellon University is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees to qualified students.
Carnegie Mellon also took the #2 spot in our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Carnegie Mellon University are $47,326, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #11, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 32 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees in 2019-2020.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern California are $48,715, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Iowa landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.
Iowa also took the #11 spot in our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Iowa are $27,613, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #13, Hollins University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hollins University is a small school located in Roanoke, Virginia that handed out 14 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees in 2019-2020.
Hollins also made our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #17. Average graduate tuition and fees at Hollins are $18,005, but some majors have different tuition rates.
New York University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. NYU is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 53 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees in 2019-2020.
NYU also took the #3 spot in our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at NYU are $36,892, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Playwriting & Screenwriting at New York University
University of New Mexico - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of New Mexico - Main Campus are $19,890, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Point Park University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Point Park, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Point Park University are $17,748, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Playwriting & Screenwriting at Point Park University
Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Athens, Ohio, and it awarded 3 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees in 2019-2020.
OHIO Athens not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at OHIO Athens are $17,712, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Stephens College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 degrees to qualified masters’s playwriting and screenwriting students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stephens, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stephens College are $9,165, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
National University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 6 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at National University are $15,480, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Azusa Pacific University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Azusa Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Azusa, California. It awarded 2 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Azusa Pacific, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Azusa Pacific are $16,571, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Playwriting & Screenwriting at Azusa Pacific
With a ranking of #21, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul University are $19,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Emerson College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Emerson is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees to qualified students.
Emerson also took the #8 spot in our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Emerson are $31,754, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree playwriting and screenwriting students whose families make $0-$30k list, Loyola Marymount has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Loyola Marymount University are $19,756.
Read full report on Playwriting & Screenwriting at Loyola Marymount
Pepperdine University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Malibu, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree playwriting and screenwriting students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pepperdine has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Pepperdine are $36,320, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Chapman University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Playwriting and Screenwriting Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This medium-sized school is located in Orange, California, and it awarded 18 masters’s playwriting and screenwriting degrees in 2019-2020.
Chapman also took the #14 spot in our “Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Chapman are $35,105.
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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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