2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the New England Region (With Aid)

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Drama & Theater Arts is the 59th most popular major in the country with 18,124 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, drama and theater arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $21,403 and had an average of $26,932 in loans still to pay off.
Across the New England region, there were 1,043 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $21,920 and $22,921 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 858 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,041 and $24,492 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 48 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the drama and theater arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid”.
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Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for new england region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the New England Region (With Aid)
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 Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 15 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Yale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $17,549 for new england region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid per year to attend Yale University.
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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rhode Island College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid. RIC is a public institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,922 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Rhode Island College.
Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Dartmouth College landed the #3 spot on the list. Dartmouth is located in Hanover, New Hampshire and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dartmouth, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth College is $33,574 for new england region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Rhode Island landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Rhode Island is a fairly large public school situated in Kingston, Rhode Island. It awarded 16 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $20,607 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend URI.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern Maine landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Southern Maine is a medium-sized public school situated in Portland, Maine. It awarded 8 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Maine is $12,339 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Southern Maine
Wellesley College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid list, Wellesley has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $22,087 for new england region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid per year to attend Wellesley College.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
With a ranking of #7, Williams College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Williams is a small school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts that handed out 2 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Williams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Williams College is $19,480 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Williams College
University of Maine landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Orono, Maine is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UMaine is $17,558 for new england region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.
University of Connecticut did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Storrs, Connecticut, this large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
UCONN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Connecticut is $22,012 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 93%.
With a ranking of #10, Bridgewater State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Bridgewater, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Bridgewater State University is $18,457 for new england region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Bridgewater State University
With a ranking of #11, Central Connecticut State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in New Britain, Connecticut, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CCSU is $16,158 for new england region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
With a ranking of #12, Western Connecticut State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Western Connecticut State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Danbury, Connecticut. It awarded 34 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $18,215 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Western Connecticut State University.
Westfield State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Westfield State University is a public institution located in Westfield, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $19,167 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Westfield State University.
The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Westfield State University
University of Vermont ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Burlington, Vermont, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
UVM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UVM is $18,982 for new england region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
University of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.
UMass Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Amherst is $22,501 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #16, Salem State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Salem State University is located in Salem, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Salem State University is $18,399 for new england region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
Eastern Connecticut State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Willimantic, Connecticut, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Eastern Connecticut State University is $18,618 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Full Eastern Connecticut State University Drama & Theater Arts Report
Southern Connecticut State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Southern Connecticut State University is a public institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Connecticut State University is $20,763 for new england region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Southern Connecticut State University
Middlebury College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Middlebury College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Middlebury, Vermont. It awarded 8 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid list, Middlebury has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Middlebury is $25,656 for new england region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
University of New Hampshire - Main Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of New Hampshire - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Durham, New Hampshire that handed out 22 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid list, UNH has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of New Hampshire - Main Campus is $24,067 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of New Hampshire - Main Campus
University of Massachusetts - Boston ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. UMass Boston is a fairly large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 12 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts - Boston is $18,340 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Massachusetts - Boston
Northern Vermont University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northern Vermont University is a small school located in Johnson, Vermont that handed out 2 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,749 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Northern Vermont University.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Northern Vermont University
College of the Holy Cross came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Holy Cross also took the #2 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Holy Cross is $37,292 for new england region bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #24, Boston University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.
Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Boston U is $30,259 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The impressive 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. 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%.
Boston College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Boston College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Boston College is $35,899 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%.
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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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