by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 67 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for acting students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,109 bachelor's degrees in acting to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The acting bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for acting students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Acting Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in acting. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It is hard to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in acting. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from University of Southern California
The University of Texas at Austin is a good choice for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in acting. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from The University of Texas at Austin
Boston University is a good decision for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in acting. Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from Boston University
It is hard to beat Chapman University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in acting. Chapman is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Orange.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from Chapman University
Located in the suburb of Storrs, UCONN is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from University of Connecticut
American Musical and Dramatic Academy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from American Musical and Dramatic Academy
UC is a very large public university located in the city of Cincinnati.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Purdue is a very large public university located in the small city of West Lafayette.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from Purdue University - Main Campus
Located in the large city of New York, Juilliard is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from The Juilliard School
UNLV is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Las Vegas.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Located in the large city of Boston, Emerson is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from Emerson College
Here are some additional great schools for Acting students that almost earned our Best Acting Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Drake University | Des Moines, IA |
| 11 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus | Seattle, WA |
| 12 | DePaul University | Chicago, IL |
| 13 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 14 | The University of the Arts | Philadelphia, PA |
| 15 | Texas Christian University | Fort Worth, TX |
| 16 | Syracuse University | Syracuse, NY |
View the Best Acting Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
One of 11 majors within the Drama & Theater Arts area of study, Acting has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Theater Arts | 9,342 |
| Musical Theater | 911 |
| Theater Design & Technology | 661 |
| Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft | 470 |
| Playwriting & Screenwriting | 292 |
| Directing & Theatrical Production | 130 |
| Theatre and Dance | 94 |
| Theatre Literature, History & Criticism | 46 |
| Comedy Writing and Performance | 43 |
| Costume Design | 19 |
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