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2023 Best Value Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Southeast Region (With Aid)

97 Ranked Colleges
3,321 Degrees Awarded
$13,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 17,341 people earned their degree in drama and theater arts, making the major the 59th most popular in the United States. 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 Southeast region, there were 3,321 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $21,994 and $23,864 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 97 colleges that offered 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.

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 in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region theater students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in the Southeast Region (With Aid)

1
UF crest
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 #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 68 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $5,135 for southeast region theater students with aid per year to attend UF.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UF

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #10 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $12,469 for southeast region theater students with aid per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

3
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 121 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region theater students with aid list, Florida State has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $9,946 for southeast region theater students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Florida State University

4
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Valencia College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. Valencia College is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 91 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,354 for Southeast Region Theater students with aid per year to attend Valencia College.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Valencia College

5

Out of the 97 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina School of the Arts landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 91 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

UNCSA also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend UNCSA is $13,276 for Southeast Region Theater students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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 91%.

Full UNCSA Drama & Theater Arts Report

6

University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 58 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UNC Greensboro is $11,629 for southeast region theater students with aid.

Full University of North Carolina at Greensboro Drama & Theater Arts Report

7
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UGA is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 43 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region theater students with aid list, UGA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $14,257 for Southeast Region Theater students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Georgia

8

University of Central Florida landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 93 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region theater students with aid list, UCF has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $8,618 for Southeast Region Theater students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, 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 92%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UCF

9

With a ranking of #9, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $8,346 for southeast region theater students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at USF Tampa

10

With a ranking of #10, The University of West Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Pensacola, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of West Florida is $7,089 for southeast region theater students with aid.

Full UWF Drama & Theater Arts Report

11
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 11 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $22,006 for Southeast Region Theater students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Virginia Drama & Theater Arts Report

12

With a ranking of #12, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. FIU is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $5,298 for Southeast Region Theater students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Florida International University

13
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. WVU is a large public school situated in Morgantown, West Virginia. It awarded 38 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend West Virginia University is $13,355 for southeast region theater students with aid.

Full West Virginia University Drama & Theater Arts Report

14
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Appalachian State University is a public institution located in Boone, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $13,989 for southeast region theater students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Appalachian State University

15
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $21,301 for Southeast Region Theater students with aid 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Virginia Tech

16
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke is $32,459 for southeast region theater students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 Duke

17
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Northern Kentucky University is a fairly large public school situated in Highland Heights, Kentucky. It awarded 64 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Kentucky University is $9,183 for Southeast Region Theater students with aid.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at NKU

18
WKU crest
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky

Western Kentucky University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Western Kentucky University is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend WKU is $12,522 for southeast region theater students with aid.

Full Western Kentucky University Drama & Theater Arts Report

19
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Boca Raton, Florida, and it awarded 27 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,735 for Southeast Region Theater students with aid per year to attend FAU.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Florida Atlantic University

20
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

University of Kentucky ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, this large public school awarded 36 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

UK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $18,203 for Southeast Region Theater students with aid per year to attend UK.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Kentucky Drama & Theater Arts Report

21
UNO crest
University of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana

University of New Orleans came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of New Orleans is a medium-sized school located in New Orleans, Louisiana that handed out 51 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of New Orleans is $12,140 for Southeast Region Theater students with aid.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UNO

22
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Regent University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and it awarded 40 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $24,888 for southeast region theater students with aid per year to attend Regent.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Regent University

23
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

With a ranking of #23, University of Arkansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Arkansas is a large public school situated in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It awarded 32 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UARK, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $16,507 for Southeast Region Theater students with aid per year to attend University of Arkansas.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Arkansas Drama & Theater Arts Report

24
Middle Tennessee State University crest
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and it awarded 26 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Middle Tennessee State University is $12,752 for southeast region theater students with aid.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Drama & Theater Arts Report

25
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 69 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region theater students with aid list, JMU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend James Madison University is $22,562 for southeast region theater students with aid.

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%. 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 JMU

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