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2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid

401 Ranked Colleges
11,385 Degrees Awarded
$10,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Theater Arts is the 70th most popular major in the country with 11,385 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 401 colleges that offered a degree in theater arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great 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 theater arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Theater Arts Schools

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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 Those Getting Aid”.

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 For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Theater Arts (With Aid)

1

Out of the 401 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also took the #22 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,017 for theater students with aid per year to attend UW Seattle.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Theater Arts at UW Seattle

2
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University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 401 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $5,135 for Theater students with aid per year to attend UF.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at University of Florida

3
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Hunter College
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid. Hunter College is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 35 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $2,158 for theater students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hunter College Theater Arts Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 113 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Cal State Fullerton also claimed a top spot on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for Theater students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Theater Arts at Cal State Fullerton

5
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The City College of New York
New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The City College of New York. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid list. The City College of New York is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 42 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,805 for theater students with aid per year to attend CCNY.

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 full report on Theater Arts at The City College of New York

6

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 26 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $12,469 for theater students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Theater Arts Report

7
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

With a ranking of #7, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Brooklyn College is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 42 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,067 for Theater students with aid per year to attend Brooklyn College.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 full report on Theater Arts at Brooklyn College

8

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 37 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $3,302 for theater students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at California State University - Los Angeles

9
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school awarded 114 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

Florida State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $9,946 for theater students with aid per year to attend Florida State University.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Theater Arts at Florida State

10
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Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue excels when it comes to theater quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for theater students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 93%.

Read more about Theater Arts at Purdue University - Main Campus

11

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 87 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also took the #13 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,023 for theater students with aid per year to attend UCLA.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 96%.

Full UCLA Theater Arts Report

12

With a ranking of #12, University of North Carolina School of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of North Carolina School of the Arts is a small public school situated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It awarded 19 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNCSA is also in the top of our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $13,276 for theater students with aid per year to attend UNCSA.

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%. 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%.

Full UNCSA Theater Arts Report

13

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 43 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for theater students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 96%.

Read more about Theater Arts at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

14
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Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington also claimed a top spot on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $14,619 for Theater students with aid per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Theater Arts at IU Bloomington

15

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 117 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also took the #21 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for theater students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Irvine Theater Arts Report

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,234 for Theater students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.

Full UW - Madison Theater Arts Report

17

University of California - San Diego ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCSD is also in the top of our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for theater students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCSD Theater Arts Report

18

California State University - Long Beach landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 81 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $10,054 for 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at CSULB

19

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 38 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UT Austin is in the top on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $18,350 for Theater students with aid per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UT Austin Theater Arts Report

20

California State University - Fresno came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 23 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,230 for Theater students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Theater Arts at California State University - Fresno

21
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

With a ranking of #21, Texas State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid list. San Marcos, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 129 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Texas State also did well on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $14,887 for theater students with aid per year to attend Texas State.

Read more about Theater Arts at Texas State

22

With a ranking of #22, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 43 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

UIUC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Theater Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $14,321 for theater students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at UIUC

23

University of California - Berkeley came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 41 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #9 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for Theater students with aid.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at UC Berkeley

24

California State University - Northridge landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 62 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,523 for 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%.

Full CSUN Theater Arts Report

25
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

With a ranking of #25, Queens College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid list. QC is a fairly large public school situated in Queens, New York. It awarded 31 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $3,469 for theater students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at Queens College

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
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Lehman College
Bronx, New York
27
28
29
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LaGuardia Community College
Long Island City, New York
30
31
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Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
32
33
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University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
34
35
36
37
38
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University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
39
40
41
42
43
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University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
44
45
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Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
45
47
48
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SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, New York
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Theater Schools For Those Getting Aid

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
52 Towson University Towson, MD
53 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
54 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
55 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
56 The University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
57 University of North Texas Denton, TX
58 John Tyler Community College Chester, VA
59 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
60 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
61 Ball State University Muncie, IN

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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