Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Drama & Theater Arts

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

96 Ranked Colleges
2,084 Degrees Awarded
$7,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 18,124 people earned their degree in drama and theater arts, making the major the 59th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, drama and theater arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $21,403 and had an average of $26,932 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,373 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $21,381 and $25,614 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,084 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 96 colleges that offer a degree in drama and theater arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent drama and theater arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the drama and theater arts program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Drama & Theater Arts Schools

The theater 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 Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $1,866 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Northwestern University

Out of the 96 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $3,166 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Drama & Theater Arts Report

#3

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

Out of the 96 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Notre Dame landed the #3 spot on the list. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 74 students in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,498 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Notre Dame Drama & Theater Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,367 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#5

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #8 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $2,712 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Chicago.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UChicago

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#7

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Purdue has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Purdue Drama & Theater Arts Report

#8

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 35 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $4,969 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Indiana University - Bloomington

#9

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

Michigan State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Michigan State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan State University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#10

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - La Crosse has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,939 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UW - La Crosse

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Ohio State

#12

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $11,868 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#13

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UW - Stevens Point

With a ranking of #14, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

SIUE also took the #25 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Drama & Theater Arts Report

#15

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio
#23 in overall quality

Oberlin College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oberlin, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oberlin, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oberlin is $9,037 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Oberlin

University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Parkside is a small school located in Kenosha, Wisconsin that handed out 16 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,652 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

#17

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school handed out 72 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $8,403 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Ball State Drama & Theater Arts Report

#18

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Southern Indiana is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 22 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend USI is $8,244 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at USI

#19

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $11,528 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#20

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #20, Beloit College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Beloit, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Beloit is $8,574 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Beloit

#21

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - River Falls is a public institution located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,366 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - River Falls.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - River Falls Drama & Theater Arts Report

#22

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Green Bay, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $11,337 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UW - Green Bay

#23

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

With a ranking of #23, Indiana University - South Bend did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - South Bend is located in South Bend, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $4,641 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Indiana University - South Bend

#24

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. PFW is a medium-sized public school situated in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,129 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend PFW.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at PFW

#25

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #25, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,490 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Oakland University

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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

Featured Theater Schools

Find Schools Near You