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

117 Ranked Colleges
2,179 Degrees Awarded
$8,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 11,561 people earned their degree in theater arts, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States.

Across the Southeast region, there were 2,419 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,179 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 117 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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 Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 Southeast 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 Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

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

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Duke University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Duke also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $-1,314 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Duke University. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

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 6 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Duke

#2

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wake Forest University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 8 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Wake Forest University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $5,981 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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.

Full Wake Forest University Theater Arts Report

#3

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $6,017 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 1.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Vanderbilt

#4

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 43 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UF also took the #10 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $4,069 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Theater Arts at UF

#5

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 117 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 36 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $6,063 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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 95%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Theater Arts Report

#6

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#8 in overall quality

University of North Carolina School of the Arts came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNCSA, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina School of the Arts is $8,472 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at UNCSA

#7

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#3 in overall quality

Emory University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, Emory has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,629 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Emory.

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. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at Emory University

#8

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#9 in overall quality

Florida State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.

Florida State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $6,816 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 more about Theater Arts at Florida State University

#9

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

William & Mary landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also took the #12 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $4,963 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 1.0% 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%.

Read more about Theater Arts at William & Mary

#10

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#6 in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Virginia - Main Campus is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

University of Virginia also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $11,696 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 Theater Arts at University of Virginia

Top 25% in overall quality

Florida International University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,683 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FIU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at FIU

#12

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
#21 in overall quality

University of Central Florida came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 80 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UCF also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend UCF is $7,847 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Full UCF Theater Arts Report

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,616 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USF Tampa.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Theater Arts Report

#14

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky

Berea College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Berea is located in Berea, Kentucky and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Berea is $5,296 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 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.

Full Berea College Theater Arts Report

#15

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Pensacola, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UWF is $3,912 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UWF Theater Arts Report

#16

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#4 in overall quality

Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Virginia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $14,010 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 more about Theater Arts at Virginia Tech

#17

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. NKU is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Kentucky University is $6,295 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Theater Arts at NKU

#18

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#14 in overall quality

University of Georgia ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Georgia is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, UGA has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $10,241 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Georgia.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Theater Arts at University of Georgia

#19

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
#24 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Greensboro landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a public institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNC Greensboro has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $10,808 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Read more about Theater Arts at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

#20

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. FGCU is a public institution located in Fort Myers, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Florida Gulf Coast University is $8,748 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Theater Arts at FGCU

#21

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. FAU is a large school located in Boca Raton, Florida that handed out 31 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FAU is $7,331 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Theater Arts at FAU

#22

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Appalachian State University is a public institution located in Boone, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,884 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Appalachian State.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Appalachian State University

#23

Tulane University of Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana
#18 in overall quality

Tulane University of Louisiana landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, Tulane has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tulane University of Louisiana is $24,632 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Theater Arts at Tulane

#24

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#11 in overall quality

James Madison University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. James Madison University is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, JMU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend James Madison University is $15,726 for southeast region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Theater Arts at JMU

#24

Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Murray, Kentucky, this medium-sized public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Murray State University is $9,185 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Theater Arts at Murray State

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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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