by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major” ranking.
In 2021-2022, 17,039 people earned their degree in drama & theater arts, making the major the 59th most popular in the United States. In , drama & theater arts graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $23,162 and had an average of $27,269 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major” ranking analyzed 1,097 colleges that offered a degree in drama & theater arts. That schools that top this list have a program in drama & theater arts in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major”.
Out of the 1,097 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major that were part of this year’s ranking, New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 104 ’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts Drama & Theater Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Theatre of Arts. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major. Hollywood, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s theater degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major. Dell’Arte International is a small school located in Blue Lake, California that handed out 11 ’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major list. American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 106 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles
American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 99 ’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York
KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts is a small private for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 44 ’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts Drama & Theater Arts Report
American Musical and Dramatic Academy did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #8. American Musical and Dramatic Academy is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 752 ’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at American Musical and Dramatic Academy
With a ranking of #9, University of North Carolina School of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major list. University of North Carolina School of the Arts is a small school located in Winston Salem, North Carolina that handed out 101 ’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #10, Cornish College of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Cornish College of the Arts is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 26 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Cornish College of the Arts
Marymount Manhattan College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Marymount Manhattan College is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 99 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Marymount Manhattan College
New York Film Academy did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #12. New York Film Academy is located in Burbank, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 206 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at New York Film Academy
California Institute of the Arts landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. CalArts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Valencia, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full California Institute of the Arts Drama & Theater Arts Report
The University of the Arts landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. The University of the Arts is a small school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 90 ’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at The University of the Arts
Stephens College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Stephens is a small school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 38 ’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Purchase College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Purchase College is located in Purchase, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 149 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Columbia College Chicago ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Columbia is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 145 ’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Muhlenberg College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Muhlenberg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 72 ’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Millikin University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #19. Millikin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decatur, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 63 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Millikin University
Emerson College ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 146 ’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Bennington College ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major list. This small school is located in Bennington, Vermont, and it awarded 23 ’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Five Towns College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Dix Hills, New York, this small private for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Dean College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #23. This small school is located in Franklin, Massachusetts, and it awarded 24 ’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Manhattan School of Music landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Manhattan School of Music is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 28 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
With a ranking of #25, Greensboro College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of Montevallo | Montevallo, AL |
| 52 | Drew University | Madison, NJ |
| 53 | LaGrange College | Lagrange, GA |
| 54 | Lawrence University | Appleton, WI |
| 55 | Calvary University | Kansas City, MO |
| 56 | Western Connecticut State University | Danbury, CT |
| 57 | Ouachita Baptist University | Arkadelphia, AR |
| 58 | Pomona College | Claremont, CA |
| 59 | Roosevelt University | Chicago, IL |
| 60 | University of the Ozarks | Clarksville, AR |
| 61 | Centenary College of Louisiana | Shreveport, LA |
| 61 | Cornell College | Mount Vernon, IA |
| 63 | Shenandoah University | Winchester, VA |
| 64 | Skidmore College | Saratoga Springs, NY |
| 65 | University of New Orleans | New Orleans, LA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Pace University - New York | New York, NY |
| 67 | Hampshire College | Amherst, MA |
| 68 | The New School | New York, NY |
| 69 | University of Northern Colorado | Greeley, CO |
| 70 | Sterling College | Sterling, KS |
| 71 | Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| 72 | Young Harris College | Young Harris, GA |
| 73 | Brevard College | Brevard, NC |
| 74 | Southern Virginia University | Buena Vista, VA |
| 75 | Florida Southern College | Lakeland, FL |
| 76 | Berea College | Berea, KY |
| 77 | DeSales University | Center Valley, PA |
| 78 | Northern Oklahoma College | Tonkawa, OK |
| 79 | Texas Lutheran University | Seguin, TX |
| 80 | Elon University | Elon, NC |
| 81 | Allegheny College | Meadville, PA |
| 82 | The College of Idaho | Caldwell, ID |
| 83 | New York University | New York, NY |
| 84 | Westmont College | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 85 | Sarah Lawrence College | Bronxville, NY |
| 85 | Andrew College | Cuthbert, GA |
| 87 | Birmingham Southern College | Birmingham, AL |
| 88 | Knox College | Galesburg, IL |
| 89 | Maharishi International University | Fairfield, IA |
| 90 | Southwestern University | Georgetown, TX |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | Emory and Henry College | Emory, VA |
| 92 | Winthrop University | Rock Hill, SC |
| 93 | Ohio Wesleyan University | Delaware, OH |
| 94 | Nazareth College | Rochester, NY |
| 95 | Otterbein University | Westerville, OH |
| 96 | Vanguard University of Southern California | Costa Mesa, CA |
| 97 | FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 98 | Morehouse College | Atlanta, GA |
| 99 | Molloy College | Rockville Centre, NY |
| 100 | Maryville College | Maryville, TN |
| 101 | Mars Hill University | Mars Hill, NC |
| 101 | Linfield University - McMinnville Campus | McMinnville, OR |
| 103 | Rollins College | Winter Park, FL |
| 104 | Eureka College | Eureka, IL |
| 105 | Albright College | Reading, PA |
| 106 | Kenyon College | Gambier, OH |
| 107 | Spelman College | Atlanta, GA |
| 107 | Saint Edward’s University | Austin, TX |
| 109 | Western Texas College | Snyder, TX |
| 110 | Whittier College | Whittier, CA |
| 111 | Norfolk State University | Norfolk, VA |
| 112 | Alabama State University | Montgomery, AL |
| 113 | Reinhardt University | Waleska, GA |
| 114 | University of Minnesota - Morris | Morris, MN |
| 115 | Earlham College | Richmond, IN |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 141 | Ohio Northern University | Ada, OH |
| 142 | University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras | San Juan, PR |
| 143 | Westminster College Utah | Salt Lake City, UT |
| 144 | Barnard College | New York, NY |
| 145 | Bethany Lutheran College | Mankato, MN |
| 146 | Wofford College | Spartanburg, SC |
| 146 | Salem State University | Salem, MA |
| 148 | Flagler College - St Augustine | Saint Augustine, FL |
| 149 | Grinnell College | Grinnell, IA |
| 150 | Coker University | Hartsville, SC |
| 151 | Bates College | Lewiston, ME |
| 152 | St Olaf College | Northfield, MN |
| 153 | Carthage College | Kenosha, WI |
| 154 | Texas State University | San Marcos, TX |
| 155 | Pacific Lutheran University | Tacoma, WA |
| 156 | Anderson University Indiana | Anderson, IN |
| 157 | Kansas Wesleyan University | Salina, KS |
| 158 | Wesleyan College | Macon, GA |
| 159 | Guilford College | Greensboro, NC |
| 160 | Seton Hill University | Greensburg, PA |
| 161 | Ripon College | Ripon, WI |
| 162 | Hillsdale College | Hillsdale, MI |
| 163 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | Natchitoches, LA |
| 164 | Central College | Pella, IA |
| 164 | Bard College at Simon’s Rock | Great Barrington, MA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|
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