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2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

71 Ranked Colleges
2,364 Degrees Awarded
$8,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes 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. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Drama & Theater Arts is the 59th most popular major in the country with 17,341 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, drama and theater arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $23,190 and had an average of $23,522 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,364 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $22,388 and $25,089 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 71 colleges that offer 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 71 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 124 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $245 for great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Full Northwestern Drama & Theater Arts Report

2

Out of the 71 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 72 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for Great Lakes Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full U-M Drama & Theater Arts Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 26 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $3,981 for great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UW - Madison

4
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 71 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 30 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $5,995 for great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Purdue

5
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $5,752 for great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 IU Bloomington

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $4,858 for great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 undergraduate students.

Full UIUC Drama & Theater Arts Report

7
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 58 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,872 for Great Lakes Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Notre Dame.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Notre Dame

8
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 41 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,927 for great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Michigan State

9

With a ranking of #9, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 41 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $7,068 for Great Lakes Region 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%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Ohio State

10
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oakland University is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $8,949 for Great Lakes Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Oakland

11
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school handed out 50 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,273 for great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ball State.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Ball State University

12
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

With a ranking of #12, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oberlin is a small school located in Oberlin, Ohio that handed out 10 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Oberlin has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oberlin is $8,756 for Great Lakes Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Oberlin

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $7,517 for Great Lakes Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 86%.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Drama & Theater Arts Report

14

Sinclair Community College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,594 for great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sinclair Community College.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Sinclair Community College

15

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school awarded 112 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

UC also took the #5 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC is $15,061 for great lakes region 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Drama & Theater Arts Report

16

Indiana University - South Bend did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in South Bend, Indiana, and it awarded 10 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $5,504 for great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

17

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 27 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,549 for Great Lakes Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UIC

18

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,438 for great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - River Falls.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 UW - River Falls

19

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,903 for Great Lakes Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

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

20

With a ranking of #20, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $8,047 for great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

21
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Western Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 46 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,112 for Great Lakes Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WMU.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at WMU

22
Illinois State crest
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 68 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $13,783 for Great Lakes Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Illinois State

23
UE crest
University of Evansville
Evansville, Indiana

University of Evansville ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Evansville, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, UE has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,071 for Great Lakes Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UE.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UE

24

Miami University - Oxford ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 18 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Miami University - Oxford also took the #15 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,956 for great lakes region theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Miami University - Oxford

25
USI crest
University of Southern Indiana
Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. USI is located in Evansville, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for USI is $7,815 for Great Lakes Region Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Southern Indiana

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