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2024 Best Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee

10 Colleges in Tennessee
149 Theater Degrees Awarded
Theater Arts is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #70 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in Tennessee to determine which ones were the best for theater arts students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 149 degrees in theater arts to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Theater Arts School

Best Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee Your choice of theater arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall 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.

Pick Your Theater Arts Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Theater
Master's Degrees in Theater

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Theater Arts Schools in Tennessee ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Theater Arts in Tennessee

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the theater degree levels they offer.

10 Top Tennessee Schools in Theater

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In TN
50.0% Growth in Graduates

Vanderbilt University is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in theater arts. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 6 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in theater arts from Vanderbilt University

2
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In TN

It is difficult to beat Belmont University if you wish to pursue a degree in theater arts. Located in the city of Nashville, Belmont is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #206 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Belmont is a great university overall.

There were about 2 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Belmont in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in theater arts from Belmont University

3
Lipscomb crest
Lipscomb University
Nashville, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
16th Most Popular In TN

Lipscomb University is a good option for students interested in a degree in theater arts. Located in the city of Nashville, Lipscomb is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #577 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Lipscomb is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Lipscomb in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in theater arts from Lipscomb University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In TN
23.1% Growth in Graduates

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in theater arts. UT Knoxville is a fairly large public university located in the city of Knoxville. A Best Colleges rank of #173 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UT Knoxville is a great university overall.

There were roughly 26 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UT Knoxville in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in theater arts from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In TN
7.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Memphis, UofM is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #748 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UofM is a great university overall.

There were roughly 27 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UofM in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in theater arts from University of Memphis

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In TN
20.0% Growth in Graduates

ETSU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Johnson City. This university ranks 11th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 15 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at ETSU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in theater arts from East Tennessee State University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In TN

UT Chattanooga is a large public university located in the medium-sized city of Chattanooga. This university ranks 16th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 6 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UT Chattanooga in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in theater arts from The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In TN
15.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 26 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Middle Tennessee State University in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in theater arts from Middle Tennessee State University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In TN

TNU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. This university ranks 18th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 2 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at TNU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in theater arts from Trevecca Nazarene University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In TN

Located in the midsize city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 29th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 13 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Austin Peay State University in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in theater arts from Austin Peay State University

Best Theater Arts Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Theater Arts Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Florida 715 477
North Carolina 710 352
Georgia 690 275
Virginia 630 380
South Carolina 530 158
Kentucky 518 168
Mississippi 501 61
Alabama 500 124
Louisiana 489 160
Arkansas 466 77
West Virginia 410 36

View All Rankings >

Theater Arts is one of 11 different types of Drama & Theater Arts programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Acting 68
Theater Design & Technology 8
Musical Theater 8
Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft 8
Directing & Theatrical Production 7
Playwriting & Screenwriting 3

View All Theater Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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