If you happen to find yourself in New York City then checking out a Broadway show should definitely be on the agenda of things to do. If you’re a student on a budget the cost of a Broadway ticket can be pretty prohibitive though. The most popular Broadway shows are sold out for weeks in advance and ticket prices can start at $100 for even the worst seats.
There is hope however, at least if you’re a student. Many Broadway shows have what are called Student Rush tickets. These are generally obstructed view or standing room only tickets that are sold the day of the show. The least popular shows have more availability for Student Rush tickets, but even popular shows such as Jersey Boys will offer them for weekday Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday performances. Matinee shows during the week always tend to be less popular and so have more student rush tickets available.
To get student rush tickets you’ll need to go first thing in the morning to the box office at the theatre the show is in. Just check online or call the day before to see when the box office opens, generally it’s around 10 a.m. You’ll need to take two forms of I.D., one must be a full time student ID and a government issued photo ID such as a drivers license. You can usually purchase two tickets per person, which means you can score a ticket for a friend or family member even if they are not a student.
For some examples of prices you can get on Student Rush tickets at current shows versus what the lowest price is for regular seating check out the table below:
| Broadway Show | Lowest Regular Ticket Price | Student Rush Price |
| Jersey Boys | $97 | $27 |
| In the Heights | $40 | $26.50 |
| Hair | $37 | $25 |
| Wicked | $50 | $26.50 |
Wicked does not offer student rush tickets, it’s only a general lottery that anybody can enter and then names are randomly pulled from a box. The names pulled are offered 2 seats for only $26.50 per seat.
The same (as I said before) goes for In the Heights and Hair. Those are not student rush, just general.