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2024 Best Drama & Theater Arts Master's Degree Schools in New York

11 Colleges in New York
250 Master's Degrees
$36,438 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your master's degree in drama & theater arts, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #83 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 11 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Drama & Theater Arts Master's Degree Schools in New York ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 250 master's degrees in drama & theater arts to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Drama & Theater Arts School for Your Master's Degree

Best Drama & Theater Arts Master's Degree Schools in New York The theater master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality theater program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

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 for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

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 drama & theater arts students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Theater Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Drama & Theater Arts Master's Degree Schools in New York ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Drama & Theater Arts in New York

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in drama & theater arts.

10 Top New York Schools for a Master's in Theater

1
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in drama & theater arts needs to look into New York University. Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Those drama & theater arts students who get their master's degree from New York University make $9,803 more than the standard theater grad.

More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from New York University

2

Columbia University in the City of New York is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Master's students who receive their degree from the theater program earn around $31,068 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Columbia University in the City of New York

3
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, NY

It is difficult to beat The Juilliard School if you want to pursue a master's degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the large city of New York, Juilliard is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Master's recipients from the drama & theater arts program at The Juilliard School get $12,797 more than the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from The Juilliard School

4
17 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat The Graduate Center, CUNY if you want to pursue a master's degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the city of New York, The Graduate Center is a public school with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from The Graduate Center, CUNY

5
New School University crest
The New School
New York, NY

New School University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.

Students who graduate with their master's from the theater program report average early career earnings of $28,774.

More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from The New School

6
1 Annual Graduates

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Vestal, Binghamton University is a public university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Binghamton University

6
3 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Buffalo, University at Buffalo is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University at Buffalo

7

Located in the city of New York, Pace University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the theater program make about $25,800 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Pace University - New York

8
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, NY
10 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of New York, Hunter is a public college with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Hunter College

9
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY
6 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Stony Brook, SUNY Stony Brook is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Stony Brook University

Best Drama & Theater Arts Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 248 88
Maryland 193 5
New Jersey 188 22
District of Columbia 154 23

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Drama & Theater Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Theater Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Theater Arts 117
Playwriting & Screenwriting 61
Theater Design & Technology 27
Acting 21
Directing & Theatrical Production 21
Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft 3

Majors Similar to Theater

Related Major Annual Graduates
Music 811
Fine & Studio Arts 642
Design & Applied Arts 380
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 287
Arts & Media Management 185
Other Visual Art 141
Dance 36
General Visual & Performing Arts 24

Notes and References

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