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2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major

121 Ranked Colleges
1,793 Degrees Awarded
$38,100 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Acting Major

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Acting Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 1,793 people earned their degree in acting, making the major the 323rd most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Acting Major” ranking looked at 121 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in acting. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in acting.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Acting Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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.

Most Well Attended Acting Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for acting students.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major list. American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 150 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Read more about Acting at American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles

2
New York Film Academy crest
New York Film Academy
Burbank, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New York Film Academy. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major list. New York Film Academy is located in Burbank, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 170 ’s acting degrees to qualified students.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.

Read more about Acting at New York Film Academy

3

Out of the 121 schools in the Most Well Attended Acting Major that were part of this year’s ranking, New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts landed the #3 spot on the list. New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts is a small private for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 102 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Acting at New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major list. Located in New York, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 101 degrees to qualified ’s acting students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read full report on Acting at American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York

5
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Acting Major. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s acting degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Acting at USC

6
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major ranking. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 64 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Temple Acting Report

7
Pace University crest
Pace University - New York
New York, New York

Pace University - New York did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major ranking, coming in at #7. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 57 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.

Read full report on Acting at Pace University - New York

8
MMC crest
Marymount Manhattan College
New York, New York

Marymount Manhattan College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major ranking. Marymount Manhattan College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 55 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Read more about Acting at Marymount Manhattan College

9
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major ranking, coming in at #9. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 51 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Acting at Columbia

10
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Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major ranking. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 40 degrees to qualified ’s acting students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Oklahoma City University Acting Report

11

With a ranking of #11, California Institute of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major list. Located in Valencia, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified ’s acting students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Acting at CalArts

12
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

Academy of Art University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major ranking. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 34 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Academy of Art University Acting Report

13
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Acting Major list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s acting degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul Acting Report

14

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major ranking, coming in at #14. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 31 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Acting at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

15

Baldwin Wallace University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Acting Major list. Berea, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s acting degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Acting at Baldwin Wallace College

16
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major ranking, coming in at #16. Boston University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 23 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

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 excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Acting at Boston University

17
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Acting Major ranking. This large school is located in Syracuse, New York, and it awarded 22 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Acting at Syracuse

17

Baylor University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Waco, Texas, and it awarded 22 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Acting at Baylor University

17

KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Acting Major ranking. KD Conservatory is a small private for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 22 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Full KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts Acting Report

20

Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Acting Major list. This large school is located in Athens, Ohio, and it awarded 21 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Acting at OHIO Athens

21
UE crest
University of Evansville
Evansville, Indiana

University of Evansville ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Acting Major list. UE is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Acting at UE

22

Wright State University - Main Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Acting Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dayton, Ohio, and it awarded 19 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Acting at Wright State University - Main Campus

23
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, New York

With a ranking of #23, The Juilliard School did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s acting degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 Acting at Juilliard

24
UArts crest
The University of the Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The University of the Arts landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major ranking. The University of the Arts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Read full report on Acting at UArts

24
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major ranking. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 18 degrees to qualified ’s acting students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 Acting at George Washington University

24

With a ranking of #24, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major list. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 more about Acting at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

24
Purchase College crest
Purchase College
Purchase, New York

Purchase College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Purchase, New York, this small public school handed out 17 degrees to qualified ’s acting students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Acting at Purchase College

Notes and References

References

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