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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Theater Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

87 Ranked Colleges
1,423 Degrees Awarded
$9,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Theater Arts is the 69th most popular major in the country with 11,561 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,555 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,423 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 87 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in theater arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent theater arts programs, but they also 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 theater arts program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Theater Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $3,995 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Theater Arts at Northwestern University

#2

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 74 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $15,609 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Notre Dame

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $6,860 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Read more about Theater Arts at UW - Madison

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, U-M has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $5,887 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full U-M Theater Arts Report

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also took the #8 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,879 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 full report on Theater Arts at Purdue

#7 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at UIUC

#7

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#15 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,192 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Indiana University - Bloomington

#6 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also took the #6 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $9,795 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 86%.

Read more about Theater Arts at UW - La Crosse

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $10,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Theater Arts at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#22 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $9,938 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#11

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 30 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $11,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Theater Arts at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#12

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#16 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $12,156 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UW - Whitewater Theater Arts Report

With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,018 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside.

Full UW - Parkside Theater Arts Report

#14

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#18 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Eau Claire, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $11,828 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Theater Arts at UW - Eau Claire

#15

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Beloit, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,628 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Beloit College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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.

Read more about Theater Arts at Beloit

#16

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #16, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $7,751 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Oakland

#17

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 12 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $10,124 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - River Falls Theater Arts Report

#18

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #18, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $11,641 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Theater Arts at UW - Green Bay

#19

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Ball State is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $10,487 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Theater Arts at Ball State

#20

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. EIU is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $11,316 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Theater Arts at EIU

#21

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. University of Southern Indiana is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 22 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,842 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USI.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at University of Southern Indiana

#22

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in South Bend, Indiana, this small public school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $5,057 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Indiana University - South Bend

#23

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fort Wayne, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for PFW is $7,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Purdue University Fort Wayne Theater Arts Report

#24

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Illinois State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $14,999 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Illinois State

#25

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio
#20 in overall quality

Oberlin College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oberlin College is located in Oberlin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Oberlin also took the #20 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,560 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oberlin College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Oberlin College

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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.

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