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2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k

47 Ranked Colleges
2,040 Degrees Awarded
$8,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in New York For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 New York For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Drama & Theater Arts is the 59th most popular major in the country with 18,124 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 New York, there were 3,278 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $21,782 and $34,042 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,040 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,973 and $22,589 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 47 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great drama and theater arts 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 drama and theater arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k) in New York

#1

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 #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k. QC is a fairly large school located in Queens, New York that handed out 22 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

QC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The yearly cost to attend QC is $1,255 for new york bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full QC Drama & Theater Arts Report

#2

Hunter College

New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hunter College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $320 for new york 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%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Hunter College

#3

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Colgate University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Hamilton, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Colgate also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Colgate is $9,752 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Colgate University

#4

Hamilton College

Clinton, New York
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hamilton College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Clinton, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Hamilton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The yearly cost to attend Hamilton is $7,942 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Hamilton

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New York City College of Technology. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. New York City College of Technology is a public institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at City Tech, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $2,456 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend City Tech.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at New York City College of Technology

#6

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lehman College is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman College is $234 for new york bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Lehman College Drama & Theater Arts Report

#7

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CCNY is $704 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at The City College of New York

#8

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 21 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $1,106 for new york 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

#5 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $8,916 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Drama & Theater Arts Report

#10

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, New York

With a ranking of #10, Vassar College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vassar College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Poughkeepsie, New York. It awarded 32 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vassar, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $8,186 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vassar.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Vassar College Drama & Theater Arts Report

#11

Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs, New York
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Skidmore College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. Skidmore is located in Saratoga Springs, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Skidmore also took the #9 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Skidmore is $9,372 for new york bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.

Full Skidmore College Drama & Theater Arts Report

#12

SUNY Fredonia

Fredonia, New York

SUNY Fredonia landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SUNY Fredonia is located in Fredonia, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

SUNY Fredonia also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Fredonia is $10,770 for new york bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SUNY Fredonia Drama & Theater Arts Report

#13

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York

College of Staten Island CUNY did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. College of Staten Island CUNY is a fairly large public school situated in Staten Island, New York. It awarded 6 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,109 for new york bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend College of Staten Island CUNY.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at College of Staten Island CUNY

#14

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, New York

SUNY Oneonta did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Oneonta is $11,106 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SUNY Oneonta Drama & Theater Arts Report

#15

Binghamton University

Vestal, New York
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Binghamton University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. Binghamton University is a fairly large public school situated in Vestal, New York. It awarded 23 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Binghamton University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The estimated yearly cost for Binghamton University is $12,686 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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

#16

The College at Brockport

Brockport, New York
#21 in overall quality

The College at Brockport ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York 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.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, SUNY Brockport has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Brockport is $9,940 for New York 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 more about Drama & Theater Arts at SUNY Brockport

#17

SUNY Oswego

Oswego, New York

SUNY Oswego landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. 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.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Oswego is $9,698 for new york bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SUNY Oswego Drama & Theater Arts Report

#18

SUNY New Paltz

New Paltz, New York

SUNY New Paltz came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in New Paltz, New York, this medium-sized public school handed out 35 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

SUNY New Paltz also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $11,543 for new york bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SUNY New Paltz.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at SUNY New Paltz

#19

SUNY Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, New York

SUNY Plattsburgh came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SUNY Plattsburgh is located in Plattsburgh, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Plattsburgh is $9,278 for New York 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%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at SUNY Plattsburgh

#20

University at Albany

Albany, New York
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, University at Albany did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. UAlbany is a fairly large public school situated in Albany, New York. It awarded 14 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UAlbany not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The estimated yearly cost for University at Albany is $13,123 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University at Albany Drama & Theater Arts Report

#21

SUNY Potsdam

Potsdam, New York

SUNY Potsdam did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. SUNY Potsdam is a small public school situated in Potsdam, New York. It awarded 15 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,693 for new york bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SUNY Potsdam.

Full SUNY Potsdam Drama & Theater Arts Report

#22

Purchase College

Purchase, New York

Purchase College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Purchase, New York, this small public school awarded 146 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Purchase College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. It costs about $12,928 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purchase College.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Purchase College

#23

Buffalo State

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo State did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Buffalo, New York, this medium-sized public school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Buffalo State is $9,347 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Buffalo State

#24

Syracuse University

Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Syracuse is a private not-for-profit institution located in Syracuse, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Syracuse also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Syracuse University is $17,164 for New York 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 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Syracuse University

#25

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stony Brook, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SUNY Stony Brook is $10,683 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Stony Brook University

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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.

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