2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k)
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2019-2020, 18,124 people earned their degree in drama and theater arts, making the major the 59th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, drama and theater arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $21,403 and had an average of $26,932 in loans still to pay off.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,684 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 139 colleges that offer a degree 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.
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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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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 Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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 for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Yale University is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 45 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Yale, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale are $44,500, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s theater degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.
Cornell also took the #8 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell are $30,042, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified masters’s theater students in 2019-2020.
WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Washington University in St Louis are $56,562.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Washington University in St Louis
Out of the 139 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #5 spot on the list. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 11 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Florida are $30,130, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Brown University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified masters’s theater students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Brown are $60,363.
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s theater degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #0 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s theater degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #9, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 16 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Florida State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 31 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State are $26,707, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of California - Irvine came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 20 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Irvine are $28,456, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Hunter College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hunter College is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 5 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter are $20,828.
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 6 degrees to qualified masters’s theater students in 2019-2020.
Purdue also took the #20 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794.
University of Central Florida came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 19 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Central Florida are $28,657, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full University of Central Florida Drama & Theater Arts Report
Brooklyn College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s theater degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Brooklyn College are $20,952, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Tufts University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified masters’s theater students in 2019-2020.
Tufts also took the #0 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Tufts are $55,168, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of North Carolina School of the Arts did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 11 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina School of the Arts are $26,064, but some majors have different tuition rates.
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 1 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State LA also took the #0 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at California State University - Los Angeles
University of Maryland - College Park came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified masters’s theater students in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UMCP also did well on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Maryland - College Park are $30,885.
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 37 degrees to qualified masters’s theater students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194.
Full Columbia University in the City of New York Drama & Theater Arts Report
With a ranking of #21, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of California - Los Angeles
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s theater degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 10 masters’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
San Diego State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s theater degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at SDSU are $18,658, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at San Diego State University
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 masters’s theater degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities are $28,845, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Donald Judge.
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