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.
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2023 Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the United States
Check out the theater programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.
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 midsize city of Provo.
BYU undergraduate students pay an average of $6,120 in tuition and fees each 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
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Brigham Young University - Idaho is a great value for drama and theater arts students. 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.
The excellent programs at University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best drama and theater arts schools in the United States. Located in the large city of San Juan, UPR Rio Piedras is a public college with a large student population.
UPR Rio Piedras undergraduate students pay an average of $4,940 in tuition and fees each year. Theater majors at UPR Rio Piedras take out an average of $5,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Drama & Theater Arts at University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Report
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means LaGuardia Community College is a great value for drama and theater arts students. LaGuardia is a fairly large public school located in the city of Long Island City.
LaGuardia undergraduate students pay an average of $8,098 in tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at LaGuardia Community College
The excellent programs at Valencia College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best drama and theater arts schools in the United States. Located in the large city of Orlando, Valencia College is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Valencia College are $9,383 a year.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Valencia College
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 fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of Dallas.
KD Conservatory undergraduate students pay an average of $16,884 in tuition and fees each 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.
Full Drama & Theater Arts at KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts Report
John Tyler Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools list. Located in the suburb of Chester, John Tyler Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at John Tyler Community College are $10,803 a year.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at John Tyler Community College
Western Carolina University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for drama and theater arts students. It came in at #8 on the list. WCU is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Cullowhee.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WCU are $8,367 per 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.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Western Carolina University
Finger Lakes Community College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value drama and theater arts programs. Located in the rural area of Canandaigua, Finger Lakes Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Finger Lakes Community College are $6,710 per year.
Full Drama & Theater Arts at Finger Lakes Community College Report
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.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Minneapolis Community and Technical College
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 school with a medium-sized student population.
Scottsdale Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,854 in tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Scottsdale Community College
Winona State University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value drama and theater arts programs. 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.
Winona State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools list.
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.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Sinclair Community College
North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value drama and theater arts programs. Located in the midsize city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Dakota State University are $14,876 per year.
North Dakota State University also claimed a spot on our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Full Drama & Theater Arts at North Dakota State University - Main Campus Report
University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value drama and theater arts programs. Located in the town of Kearney, UNK is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
UNK undergraduate students pay an average of $15,320 in tuition and fees each year.
Full Drama & Theater Arts at University of Nebraska at Kearney Report
University of South Dakota ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools list. Located in the town of Vermillion, USD is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at USD are $12,942 per year.
With a ranking of #16, Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for drama and theater arts students. Located in the large 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.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, MSMU also is in the top 20% of our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking.
West Texas A&M University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for drama and theater arts students. It came in at #18 on the list. 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.
Full Drama & Theater Arts at West Texas A&M University Report
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, SRU also is in the top 20% of our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking. Located in the large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SIUE are $11,496 per year. While working on their degree, theater majors at SIUE accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Full Drama & Theater Arts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Report
With a ranking of #21, South Dakota State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for drama and theater arts students. 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.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, South Dakota State also did well on our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
National University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking. Located in the city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at National University are $13,320 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, National University is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools list.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at National University
The Graduate Center, CUNY came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools ranking. The Graduate Center is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of New York.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at The Graduate Center are $15,360 a year.
The Graduate Center also claimed a spot on our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at The Graduate Center, CUNY
Youngstown State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools list. Youngstown State University is a large public school located in the city of Youngstown.
Youngstown State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,732 in tuition and fees each year.
With a ranking of #25, Austin Community College District did quite well on this year’s best value schools for drama and theater arts students. Located in the city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a public school with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Austin Community College District are $10,590 per year.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Austin Community College District
Rest of the Top Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools
Additional Award Winners
This list represents the rest of the colleges awarded a Best Value Drama & Theater Arts Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college 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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