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2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

56 Ranked Colleges
632 Degrees Awarded
$10,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Plains States region, there were 704 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 632 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 56 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

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 Plains States 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 Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

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

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $6,248 for plains states 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 low 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Washington University in St Louis Theater Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Morris. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Minnesota - Morris is located in Morris, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UMN Morris is $3,435 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Morris Theater Arts Report

#3

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 55 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $8,418 for plains states 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%. 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 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#4

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, St Olaf College landed the #4 spot on the list. St. Olaf is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 14 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Olaf did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend St Olaf College is $12,276 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 more about Theater Arts at St. Olaf

#5

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Truman State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Truman State University is a public institution located in Kirksville, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Truman State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $8,269 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Truman State.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Theater Arts at Truman State

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $7,992 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Theater Arts Report

#12 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Mizzou is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $11,595 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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 University of Missouri - Columbia

#8

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Missouri - St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UMSL is $6,838 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Theater Arts at UMSL

#9

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#7 in overall quality

Winona State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 1 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Winona State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State University is $13,606 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Winona State University Theater Arts Report

#8 in overall quality

North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. North Dakota State University is a fairly large school located in Fargo, North Dakota that handed out 14 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Dakota State University, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $12,544 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read full report on Theater Arts at North Dakota State University

#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNL is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNL also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for UNL is $13,508 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read full report on Theater Arts at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#12

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Saint Cloud State University is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. It awarded 4 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,274 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend St. Cloud State University.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Saint Cloud State University

#13

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Carleton College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, Carleton has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Carleton is $9,358 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Read more about Theater Arts at Carleton College

Southwest Minnesota State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southwest Minnesota State University is located in Marshall, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Minnesota State University is $11,410 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Theater Arts at Southwest Minnesota State University

#15

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#18 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNI has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,495 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UNI Theater Arts Report

#17 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Kearney ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kearney, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

UNK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNK is $13,417 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at UNK

#17

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#24 in overall quality

University of North Dakota landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, UND has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UND is $11,916 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UND Theater Arts Report

#18

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa
#20 in overall quality

Grinnell College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Grinnell is located in Grinnell, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, Grinnell has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grinnell College is $14,818 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Full Grinnell Theater Arts Report

Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $11,781 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The 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 more about Theater Arts at Minnesota State Mankato

With a ranking of #20, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Omaha is $11,460 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Theater Arts at University of Nebraska at Omaha

Northwest Missouri State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northwest Missouri State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Maryville, Missouri. It awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,863 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwest Missouri State University.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Northwest Missouri State University

#22

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#9 in overall quality

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 29 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $15,073 for plains states 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 88%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Iowa Theater Arts Report

#23

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri

Lindenwood University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Lindenwood University is located in Saint Charles, Missouri 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 Lindenwood University is $13,918 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Lindenwood University Theater Arts Report

Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Missouri State University - Springfield is $13,488 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Theater Arts at Missouri State University - Springfield

With a ranking of #25, Missouri Southern State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Joplin, Missouri, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Southern is $8,416 for plains states region bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Missouri Southern State University Theater Arts Report

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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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