2023 Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Drama & Theater Arts School for You
In 2020-2021, 17,341 people earned a degree or certificate in drama and theater arts, making the major the #60 most popular in the United States.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 498 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best value experiences for theater students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality in Drama & Theater Arts
Our 2023 rankings named Brigham Young University - Provo the best value school in the United States for drama and theater arts students. BYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Provo.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BYU are $6,120 a year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, BYU also did well on our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Drama & Theater Arts at Brigham Young University - Provo Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools list. BYU - I is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the town of Rexburg.
BYU - I undergraduate students pay an average of $4,416 in tuition and fees each year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools list. Located in the large city of San Juan, UPR Rio Piedras is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UPR Rio Piedras are $4,940 a year. Theater majors at UPR Rio Piedras take out an average of $5,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Out of the 498 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, LaGuardia Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. LaGuardia is a large public school located in the large city of Long Island City.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at LaGuardia are $8,098 a year.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Valencia College is a great value for drama and theater arts students. Located in the large city of Orlando, Valencia College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Valencia College undergraduate students pay an average of $9,383 in tuition and fees each year.
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KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools list. KD Conservatory is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Dallas.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at KD Conservatory are $16,884 per year. Theater majors at KD Conservatory take out an average of $19,062 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $165.
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John Tyler Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking. Located in the large suburb of Chester, John Tyler Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
John Tyler Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,803 in tuition and fees each year.
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Western Carolina University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value drama and theater arts programs. WCU is a large public school located in the distant town of Cullowhee.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WCU are $8,367 a year. After completing their degree, theater graduates from WCU carry an average student debtload of $23,551. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $263.
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Finger Lakes Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking. Located in the rural area of Canandaigua, Finger Lakes Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Finger Lakes Community College are $6,710 per year.
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Minneapolis Community and Technical College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking. Minneapolis Community and Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of Minneapolis.
Minneapolis Community and Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,906 in tuition and fees each year.
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Scottsdale Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools list. Located in the rural area of Scottsdale, Scottsdale Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Scottsdale Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,854 in tuition and fees each year.
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Winona State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking. Winona State is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Winona.
Winona State undergraduate students pay an average of $16,684 in tuition and fees each year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Winona State also did well on our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Sinclair Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for drama and theater arts students. It came in at #13 on the list. Sinclair Community College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Dayton.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Sinclair Community College are $8,076 a year.
Sinclair Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools list. Located in the midsize city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public school with a fairly large student population.
North Dakota State University undergraduate students pay an average of $14,876 in tuition and fees each year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, North Dakota State University also is in the top 15% of our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking.
Full Drama & Theater Arts at North Dakota State University - Main Campus Report
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With a ranking of #15, University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well on this year’s best value schools for drama and theater arts students. Located in the town of Kearney, UNK is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNK are $15,320 per year.
Full Drama & Theater Arts at University of Nebraska at Kearney Report
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University of South Dakota ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools list. Located in the distant town of Vermillion, USD is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
USD undergraduate students pay an average of $12,942 in tuition and fees each year.
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Mount Saint Mary’s University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking. Located in the city of Los Angeles, MSMU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MSMU are $45,388 a year.
MSMU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools list.
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West Texas A&M University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking. West Texas A&M University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Canyon.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at West Texas A&M University are $11,208 per year. The average amount in student loans that theater majors at West Texas A&M University take out is $19,500.
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With a ranking of #19, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best value schools for drama and theater arts students. SRU is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Slippery Rock.
SRU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,615 in tuition and fees each year.
SRU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools list.
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value drama and theater arts programs. Located in the large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SIUE are $11,496 a year. While working on their degree, theater majors at SIUE accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
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South Dakota State University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value drama and theater arts programs. South Dakota State is a large public school located in the remote town of Brookings.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at South Dakota State are $12,809 a year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, South Dakota State also is in the top 15% of our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking.
Full Drama & Theater Arts at South Dakota State University Report
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With a ranking of #22, National University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for drama and theater arts students. Located in the city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
National University undergraduate students pay an average of $13,320 in tuition and fees each year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, National University also is in the top 15% of our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking.
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The Graduate Center, CUNY landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value drama and theater arts programs. The Graduate Center is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of New York.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at The Graduate Center are $15,360 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, The Graduate Center is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools list.
Full Drama & Theater Arts at The Graduate Center, CUNY Report
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Youngstown State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Youngstown.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Youngstown State University are $9,732 per year.
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Austin Community College District landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value drama and theater arts programs. Located in the large city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Austin Community College District are $10,590 a year.
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Additional Award Winners
This list represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 498 different United States drama and theater arts schools we analyzed.
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools award.
Drama & Theater Arts by Region
View the Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
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| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Drama & Theater Arts Rankings
Drama & Theater Arts Related Majors for Theater
One of 10 majors within the area of study, drama and theater arts has other similar majors worth exploring.
Majors Similar to Theater
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 37,413 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 36,301 |
| Music | 25,910 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 16,778 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 6,355 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Donald Judge.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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