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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

126 Ranked Colleges
2,761 Degrees Awarded
$5,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 the Southeast region, there were 3,374 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $20,841 and $26,422 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,761 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 126 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Drama & Theater Arts Schools

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 Southeast 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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region 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 the Southeast Region

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Duke also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Duke is $-7,808 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Duke University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#2

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UF is $1,994 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Florida

#3

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 3 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $3,156 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 96%. 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.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Vanderbilt University

#4

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 36 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #7 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,026 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Drama & Theater Arts Report

#5

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 94 students in 2019-2020.

UNCSA also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina School of the Arts is $3,456 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UNCSA

#6

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 69 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $5,360 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida State Drama & Theater Arts Report

#7

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#3 in overall quality

Emory University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Emory has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emory University is $11,468 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Emory Drama & Theater Arts Report

Florida International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 37 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FIU is $5,002 for southeast 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.

Full Florida International University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#9

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

William & Mary came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

William & Mary also took the #12 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $4,711 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full William & Mary Drama & Theater Arts Report

#10

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school handed out 80 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCF has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $6,211 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Central Florida Drama & Theater Arts Report

#11

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#2 in overall quality

Wake Forest University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wake Forest University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $5,250 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Wake Forest University Drama & Theater Arts Report

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 35 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $3,950 for southeast region 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 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Drama & Theater Arts Report

#13

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky

Berea College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Berea is located in Berea, Kentucky and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $5,296 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Berea.

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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Berea

#14

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

With a ranking of #14, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

UGA also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $7,541 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Georgia

#15

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #15, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech also took the #4 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $11,138 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Virginia Tech

#16

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

With a ranking of #16, The University of West Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pensacola, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of West Florida is $4,140 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full The University of West Florida Drama & Theater Arts Report

#17

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Highland Heights, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NKU is $4,156 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at NKU

#18

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #18, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Virginia is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia also took the #6 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $8,882 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#19

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

With a ranking of #19, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Greensboro, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 61 students in 2019-2020.

UNC Greensboro also took the #25 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $8,853 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UNC Greensboro

#20

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Fort Myers, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida Gulf Coast University is $7,824 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Florida Gulf Coast University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#21

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State University is $7,169 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 more about Drama & Theater Arts at Appalachian State University

#22

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia

University of North Georgia came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Georgia is located in Dahlonega, Georgia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,650 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Georgia.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of North Georgia

The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chattanooga, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,108 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

#24

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. FAU is located in Boca Raton, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for FAU is $6,085 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Florida Atlantic University

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Louisiana State University is a large public school situated in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It awarded 40 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Louisiana State University has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is $8,433 for Southeast Region 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.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

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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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