Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Drama & Theater Arts

Find Schools Near

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

102 Ranked Colleges
3,066 Degrees Awarded
$7,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $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 Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Middle Atlantic region, there were 4,510 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $21,488 and $30,142 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,066 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,278 and $24,587 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 102 colleges that offered a degree in drama and theater arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality drama and theater arts programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the drama and theater arts 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic 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 Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

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

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 102 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $3,181 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UPenn.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Pennsylvania Drama & Theater Arts Report

#2

Queens College

Queens, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Queens College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $1,255 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Queens College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at QC

#3

Hunter College

New York, New York

Out of the 102 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Hunter College landed the #3 spot on the list. Hunter is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 26 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter College is $320 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full Hunter Drama & Theater Arts Report

#4

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colgate University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Hamilton, New York, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Colgate also took the #2 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colgate is $9,752 for middle atlantic 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 94%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Colgate University

#5

Hamilton College

Clinton, New York
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 102 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Hamilton College landed the #5 spot on the list. Hamilton is located in Clinton, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Hamilton, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hamilton College is $7,942 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Hamilton

#6

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMCP is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMCP also took the #15 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMCP is $8,054 for Middle Atlantic 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 95%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Maryland - College Park

New York City College of Technology ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. New York City College of Technology is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 38 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend City Tech is $2,456 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at City Tech

#8

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

With a ranking of #8, Lehman College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $234 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lehman College.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Lehman College

#9

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. CCNY is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 45 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The City College of New York is $704 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full CCNY Drama & Theater Arts Report

#10

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brooklyn College is a public institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $1,106 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Brooklyn College

#11

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

Lafayette College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Lafayette College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Easton, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lafayette, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lafayette is $6,934 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Lafayette

#12

Towson University

Towson, Maryland

With a ranking of #12, Towson University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Towson, Maryland, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Towson also took the #18 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Towson University is $9,206 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Towson University

#9 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $8,916 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Columbia University in the City of New York

#14

St Mary's College of Maryland

St. Mary's City, Maryland

St Mary’s College of Maryland came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SMCM is a small school located in St. Mary’s City, Maryland that handed out 14 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SMCM is $9,445 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full St Mary’s College of Maryland Drama & Theater Arts Report

#15

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Poughkeepsie, New York, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Vassar also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Vassar College is $8,186 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Vassar Drama & Theater Arts Report

#16

Dickinson College

Carlisle, Pennsylvania
#5 in overall quality

Dickinson College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dickinson, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $11,046 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Dickinson.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Dickinson

#17

Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs, New York
#14 in overall quality

Skidmore College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Saratoga Springs, New York, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Skidmore not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Skidmore College is $9,372 for middle atlantic 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 88%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 Skidmore

#18

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York

SUNY Fredonia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. This small school is located in Fredonia, New York, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY Fredonia also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Fredonia is $10,770 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Full SUNY Fredonia Drama & Theater Arts Report

#19

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York

College of Staten Island CUNY ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSI is located in Staten Island, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend College of Staten Island CUNY is $3,109 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full College of Staten Island CUNY Drama & Theater Arts Report

#20

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #20, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carnegie Mellon, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon University is $12,542 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Carnegie Mellon University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#21

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, New York

SUNY Oneonta ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oneonta, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

SUNY Oneonta not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $11,106 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SUNY Oneonta.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at SUNY Oneonta

With a ranking of #22, University of Maryland - Baltimore County did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Maryland - Baltimore County is a fairly large public school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 22 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMBC is $10,820 for middle atlantic 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 87%. 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 UMBC

#23

Binghamton University

Vestal, New York
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Binghamton University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Vestal, New York, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Binghamton University also took the #17 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Binghamton University is $12,686 for Middle Atlantic 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 92%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Binghamton University

#24

The College at Brockport

Brockport, New York

The College at Brockport ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Brockport, New York, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Brockport is $9,940 for middle atlantic region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The College at Brockport Drama & Theater Arts Report

#25

SUNY Oswego

Oswego, New York

SUNY Oswego ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oswego, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,698 for Middle Atlantic Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SUNY Oswego.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 full report on Drama & Theater Arts at SUNY Oswego

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