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2024 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Massachusetts

19 Colleges in Massachusetts
570 Theater Degrees Awarded
$24,278 Avg Early-Career Salary
Drama & Theater Arts is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #59 most popular degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 19 schools in Massachusetts to determine which ones were the best for drama & theater arts students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 570 degrees in drama & theater arts to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Drama & Theater Arts School

Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Massachusetts Your choice of drama & theater arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Drama & Theater Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Drama & Theater Arts Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Theater
Bachelor's Degrees in Theater
Master's Degrees in Theater
Doctor's Degrees in Theater

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in Massachusetts list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Drama & Theater Arts in Massachusetts

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the theater degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Massachusetts Schools in Theater

1
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Theater Degrees Awarded
11.6% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat Boston University if you wish to pursue a degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the large city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Boston U is a great university overall.

There were about 86 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the theater program make around $25,859 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Boston University

2
Emerson crest
Emerson College
Boston, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
143 Theater Degrees Awarded
3.5% Growth in Graduates

Emerson College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in drama & theater arts. Emerson is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the city of Boston. A Best Colleges rank of #179 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Emerson is a great college overall.

There were roughly 143 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Emerson in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, theater degree recipients generally make an average of $22,766 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Emerson College

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In MA
8.3% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat Brandeis University if you wish to pursue a degree in drama & theater arts. Brandeis is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Waltham. A Best Colleges rank of #99 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Brandeis is a great university overall.

There were roughly 12 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Brandeis in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Brandeis University

4
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In MA
8.3% Growth in Graduates

Tufts University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the large suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Tufts is a great university overall.

There were roughly 12 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Tufts in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Tufts University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$25,695 Median Starting Salary

UMass Amherst is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Amherst. A Best Colleges rank of #81 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UMass Amherst is a great university overall.

There were roughly 23 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UMass Amherst in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the theater program report average early career wages of $25,695.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from University of Massachusetts Amherst

6
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA

Located in the small city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #60 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Boston College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 14 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the drama & theater arts degree program at Boston College get $3,262 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Boston College

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In MA
82.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #59 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northeastern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 17 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Northeastern University

8
Smith crest
Smith College
Northampton, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In MA

Located in the suburb of Northampton, Smith is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 19th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 10 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Smith in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Smith College

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In MA
32 Theater Degrees Awarded

Salem State is a moderately-sized public university located in the large suburb of Salem. This university ranks 37th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 32 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Salem State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Salem State University

10
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, MA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
17th Most Popular In MA
75.0% Growth in Graduates

Williams is a small private not-for-profit college located in the fringe town of Williamstown. A Best Colleges rank of #68 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Williams is a great college overall.

There were approximately 8 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Williams in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Williams College

Best Drama & Theater Arts Colleges in the New England Region

Explore all the Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Connecticut 241 182
New Hampshire 210 49
Maine 202 36
Rhode Island 200 82
Vermont 194 52

View All Rankings >

One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Drama & Theater Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Theater Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Theater Arts 326
Musical Theater 75
Theater Design & Technology 50
Acting 42
Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft 33
Playwriting & Screenwriting 30
Directing & Theatrical Production 14

View All Theater Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Theater

Related Major Annual Graduates
Music 1,491
Design & Applied Arts 946
Fine & Studio Arts 942
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 757
Arts & Media Management 312
General Visual & Performing Arts 171
Dance 114
Other Visual Art 41
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 5

View All Theater Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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