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2024 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region

98 Colleges in the Southeast Region
3,274 Theater Degrees Awarded
$21,994 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in drama & theater arts is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #59 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual looked at 98 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,274 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 the Southeast Region Your choice of drama & theater arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for drama & theater arts schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each 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

The theater school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region. 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 Drama & Theater Arts in the Southeast Region

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. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

15 Top Southeast Region Schools in Theater

1
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In GA
55.0% Growth in Graduates

Emory University is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in drama & theater arts. Emory is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Atlanta. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Emory is a great university overall.

There were about 20 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available.

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

2
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 Theater Degrees Awarded
10.5% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in drama & theater arts has to take a look at University of Florida. UF is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UF is a great university overall.

There were about 76 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the drama & theater arts program at University of Florida earn $2,820 above the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

2
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
19th Most Popular In NC

Any student pursuing a degree in drama & theater arts has to take a look at Duke University. Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were about 3 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year.

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

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
101 Theater Degrees Awarded
9.9% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in drama & theater arts needs to take a look at University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Located in the medium-sized city of Winston Salem, UNCSA is a public university with a small student population.

There were about 101 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UNCSA in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the drama & theater arts degree program at University of North Carolina School of the Arts get $10,725 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from University of North Carolina School of the Arts

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In LA

Tulane University of Louisiana is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the large city of New Orleans, Tulane is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #78 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Tulane is a great university overall.

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

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Tulane University of Louisiana

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

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were approximately 5 drama & 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 drama & theater arts from Vanderbilt University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Theater Degrees Awarded
$23,105 Median Starting Salary

UGA is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Athens. A Best Colleges rank of #72 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UGA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 33 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the theater program state that they receive average early career income of $23,105.

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

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In VA
26.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were about 15 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from University of Virginia - Main Campus

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
75 Theater Degrees Awarded
$25,898 Median Starting Salary

Florida State is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Tallahassee. A Best Colleges rank of #121 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Florida State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 75 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the drama & theater arts major at Florida State University make $3,904 more than the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

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

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
233 Theater Degrees Awarded
19.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Savannah, SCAD is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

There were roughly 233 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at SCAD in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the theater program state that they receive average early career income of $21,380.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Savannah College of Art and Design

10
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In VA
31 Theater Degrees Awarded

Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the small city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 31 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Virginia Tech

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Theater Degrees Awarded
29.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #43 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were about 37 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. After graduation, theater degree recipients typically make around $22,322 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

12
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Theater Degrees Awarded
$22,508 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 63 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the theater program make about $22,508 in the first couple years of their career.

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

13
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8.0% Growth in Graduates
$15,142 Median Starting Salary

U Miami is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Coral Gables. A Best Colleges rank of #91 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means U Miami is a great university overall.

There were approximately 25 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at U Miami in the most recent data year. After graduation, theater degree recipients generally earn about $15,142 in their early careers.

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

14
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In TN
27.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Nashville, Belmont is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 22 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Belmont in the most recent data year.

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

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Drama & Theater Arts students in the Southeast Region that almost earned our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Southeast Region award.

RankCollegeLocation
15University of KentuckyLexington, KY
16Regent UniversityVirginia Beach, VA
17Harding UniversitySearcy, AR
18Shenandoah UniversityWinchester, VA
19University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
20Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
21University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
22The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL
23Lipscomb UniversityNashville, TN
24University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL

Best Drama & Theater Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best drama & theater arts colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Georgia287453
Florida282656
North Carolina279498
Virginia274455
Tennessee269203
South Carolina248175
Kentucky244181
Louisiana242168
Mississippi23464
Arkansas23497
Alabama233147
West Virginia20749

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

MajorAnnual Graduates
Theater Arts2,405
Theater Design & Technology320
Musical Theater170
Acting142
Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft108
Playwriting & Screenwriting90
Theatre Literature, History & Criticism31
Directing & Theatrical Production5
Costume Design3

View All Theater Concentrations >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Design & Applied Arts8,008
Fine & Studio Arts6,112
Music5,431
Film, Video & Photographic Arts3,857
General Visual & Performing Arts2,101
Arts & Media Management1,830
Dance544
Other Visual Art204
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry39
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art1

View All Theater Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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