2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in Massachusetts (With Aid)
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
Across Massachusetts, there were 555 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $21,700 and $23,300 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 485 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,887 and $24,387 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in Massachusetts (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wellesley College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wellesley, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wellesley College is $22,087 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Williams College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Williams also took the #6 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $19,480 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students with aid per year to attend Williams College.
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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bridgewater State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Bridgewater State is a fairly large public school situated in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. It awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Bridgewater State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $18,457 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students with aid per year to attend Bridgewater State.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Westfield State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid. Located in Westfield, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
Westfield not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Westfield is $19,167 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Massachusetts Amherst. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid. UMass Amherst is a large school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 28 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
UMass Amherst also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Amherst is $22,501 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Massachusetts Amherst
Salem State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Salem, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school awarded 36 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
Salem State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Salem State University is $18,399 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Salem State University
University of Massachusetts - Boston landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.
UMass Boston did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Boston is $18,340 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Massachusetts - Boston
With a ranking of #8, College of the Holy Cross did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Holy Cross did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $37,292 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Holy Cross.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
Boston University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 57 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students with aid list, Boston U has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston U is $30,259 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Boston College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. It awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Boston College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $35,899 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Boston College.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
Tufts University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Tufts also took the #2 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $30,744 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Tufts.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 1.2% 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%.
Smith College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Smith College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northampton, Massachusetts. It awarded 12 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students with aid list, Smith has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $28,305 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Smith College.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Wheaton College Massachusetts came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Norton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Wheaton College Massachusetts also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts is $26,809 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Wheaton College Massachusetts
With a ranking of #14, Gordon College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Wenham, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gordon College, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gordon College is $25,777 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Mount Holyoke College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Mt. Holyoke is a private not-for-profit institution located in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Mt. Holyoke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mt. Holyoke is $27,149 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
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 2.9% 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 Mount Holyoke College
Clark University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Clark University is a small school located in Worcester, Massachusetts that handed out 10 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students with aid list, Clark has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Clark is $28,805 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
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 1.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Northeastern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Northeastern is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 3 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Northeastern also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern University is $31,093 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.
Suffolk University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Suffolk University is a medium-sized school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 24 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Suffolk also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $30,701 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree theater students with aid per year to attend Suffolk.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Brandeis University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Waltham, Massachusetts, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Brandeis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brandeis University is $31,165 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Emerson College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Emerson is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 119 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Emerson not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Emerson College is $45,365 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
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%.
With a ranking of #21, Dean College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Dean College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Franklin, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Dean College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $31,337 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid per year to attend Dean College.
Berklee College of Music came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Berklee College of Music is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 53 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Berklee College of Music, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Berklee College of Music is $49,514 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Theater students with aid.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Berklee College of Music
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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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