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

29 Ranked Colleges
595 Degrees Awarded
$15,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

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 Pennsylvania, there were 712 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $22,622 and $28,540 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 595 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 29 colleges that offered 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.

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.

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 Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 3 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $3,181 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UPenn

#2

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lafayette College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Easton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Lafayette has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $6,934 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lafayette.

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%. 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 87%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Lafayette

#3

Dickinson College

Carlisle, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dickinson College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dickinson is a private not-for-profit institution located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dickinson, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dickinson is $11,046 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Dickinson College

#4

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carnegie Mellon University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Carnegie Mellon also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $12,542 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Carnegie Mellon University

#5

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. SRU is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

SRU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $14,088 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SRU.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

#6

Muhlenberg College

Allentown, Pennsylvania

Muhlenberg College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 75 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Muhlenberg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Muhlenberg is $14,567 for Pennsylvania 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 low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. 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 Muhlenberg College

#7

Lycoming College

Williamsport, Pennsylvania
#19 in overall quality

Lycoming College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Lycoming has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lycoming is $13,906 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Lycoming

#8 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

Pitt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $20,075 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pitt.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

#9

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #9, West Chester University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. WCUPA is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

WCUPA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for WCUPA is $16,531 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full WCUPA Drama & Theater Arts Report

#10

Susquehanna University

Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Susquehanna University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Susquehanna has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Susquehanna is $19,823 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Susquehanna University

#11

Point Park University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Point Park University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Point Park not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Point Park is $17,733 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Point Park Drama & Theater Arts Report

#12

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
#21 in overall quality

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. This medium-sized school is located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bloomsburg, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bloomsburg is $15,638 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

#13

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

Messiah University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Messiah, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Messiah is $20,824 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 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%.

Full Messiah University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#14

Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Clarion, Pennsylvania

Clarion University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Clarion, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Clarion University of Pennsylvania is $16,235 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Clarion University of Pennsylvania

#15

California University of Pennsylvania

California, Pennsylvania
#25 in overall quality

California University of Pennsylvania came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

Cal U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend California University of Pennsylvania is $14,841 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at California University of Pennsylvania

#16

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, Pennsylvania
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Millersville, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millersville, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Millersville is $16,878 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Millersville

#17

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Temple University is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 74 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Temple did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Temple is $18,315 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Temple Drama & Theater Arts Report

#18

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania
#18 in overall quality

York College of Pennsylvania came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in York, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

YCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $16,618 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend YCP.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at YCP

#19

Albright College

Reading, Pennsylvania

Albright College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Albright College is a small school located in Reading, Pennsylvania that handed out 2 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Albright is $15,077 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Albright

#20

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized public school situated in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend East Stroudsburg University is $16,975 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

#21

Cedar Crest College

Allentown, Pennsylvania
#17 in overall quality

Cedar Crest College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Cedar Crest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $18,693 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cedar Crest College.

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 full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Cedar Crest

#22

Marywood University

Scranton, Pennsylvania
#24 in overall quality

Marywood University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Scranton, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Marywood also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $17,062 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Marywood University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Marywood University

#23

Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Duquesne University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Duquesne is a medium-sized school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 4 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Duquesne has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $21,862 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Duquesne.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Duquesne

#24

Seton Hill University

Greensburg, Pennsylvania

Seton Hill University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Seton Hill has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Seton Hill is $20,577 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Seton Hill

Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Indiana, Pennsylvania. It awarded 14 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,177 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus

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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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