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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major

858 Ranked Colleges
13,117 Degrees Awarded
$21,938 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Theater Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 17,341 people earned their degree in drama and theater arts, making the major the 59th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, drama and theater arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $23,190 and had an average of $23,522 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 13,117 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major” ranking, we looked at 858 colleges that offer a degree in drama and theater arts. That schools that top this list have a program in drama and theater arts in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major” list to help you make the college 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 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.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree theater students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Musical and Dramatic Academy. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. American Musical and Dramatic Academy is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 205 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at American Musical and Dramatic Academy

2
Cornish College of the Arts crest
Cornish College of the Arts
Seattle, Washington

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornish College of the Arts. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major. Cornish College of the Arts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Cornish College of the Arts

3

Out of the 858 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina School of the Arts landed the #3 spot on the list. UNCSA is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNCSA Drama & Theater Arts Report

4
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Marymount Manhattan College
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Marymount Manhattan College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major. Marymount Manhattan College is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 121 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

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

5
Purchase College crest
Purchase College
Purchase, New York

Out of the 858 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Purchase College landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Purchase, New York, this small public school awarded 151 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Purchase College

6
New York Film Academy crest
New York Film Academy
Burbank, California

New York Film Academy did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #6. New York Film Academy is a small private for-profit school situated in Burbank, California. It awarded 97 bachelors’s theater 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%. 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 more about Drama & Theater Arts at New York Film Academy

7
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The University of the Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The University of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #7. The University of the Arts is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

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%. 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.

Full UArts Drama & Theater Arts Report

8
CalArts crest
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California

California Institute of the Arts landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Located in Valencia, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 40 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at California Institute of the Arts

9
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Muhlenberg College
Allentown, Pennsylvania

Muhlenberg College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #9. Muhlenberg College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 71 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Muhlenberg Drama & Theater Arts Report

10
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Columbia College Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 148 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Columbia

11
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Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Millikin University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Millikin is located in Decatur, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

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.

Full Millikin Drama & Theater Arts Report

12
Bennington crest
Bennington College
Bennington, Vermont

Bennington College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Bennington, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Bennington

13
Five Towns College crest
Five Towns College
Dix Hills, New York

With a ranking of #13, Five Towns College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Five Towns College is a small private for-profit school situated in Dix Hills, New York. It awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Five Towns College

14
Emerson crest
Emerson College
Boston, Massachusetts

Emerson College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #14. Emerson College is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 118 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Drama & Theater Arts at Emerson

15
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Stephens College
Columbia, Missouri

With a ranking of #15, Stephens College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Stephens is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 14 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Stephens

16
Manhattan School of Music crest
Manhattan School of Music
New York, New York

With a ranking of #16, Manhattan School of Music did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Manhattan School of Music

17
Greensboro College crest
Greensboro College
Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Greensboro College is a small school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 18 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Full Greensboro College Drama & Theater Arts Report

18
Dean College crest
Dean College
Franklin, Massachusetts

Dean College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Dean College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Franklin, Massachusetts. It awarded 23 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Dean College Drama & Theater Arts Report

19
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Catawba College
Salisbury, North Carolina

Catawba College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Catawba College is located in Salisbury, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Full Catawba College Drama & Theater Arts Report

20

University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma is a public institution located in Chickasha, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at USAO

21
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Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

With a ranking of #21, Oklahoma City University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. OCU is a small school located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that handed out 56 bachelors’s theater degrees 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 Drama & Theater Arts Report

22
Wagner crest
Wagner College
Staten Island, New York

Wagner College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Located in Staten Island, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 45 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Wagner College Drama & Theater Arts Report

23

Nebraska Wesleyan University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Lincoln, Nebraska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Drama & Theater Arts at NWU

24
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Point Park University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #24, Point Park University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Point Park University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 58 bachelors’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%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Point Park

25
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University of Evansville
Evansville, Indiana

University of Evansville landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. University of Evansville is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 31 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UE

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
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William Peace University
Raleigh, North Carolina
27
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Principia College
Elsah, Illinois
28
SUNY Fredonia crest
SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, New York
29
30
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North Central College
Naperville, Illinois
31
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Ithaca College
Ithaca, New York
32
33
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Visible Music College
Memphis, Tennessee
34
Dillard University crest
Dillard University
New Orleans, Louisiana
35
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois
36
Berklee College of Music crest
Berklee College of Music
Boston, Massachusetts
37
38
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University of Montevallo
Montevallo, Alabama
39
Drew crest
Drew University
Madison, New Jersey
40
LaGrange crest
LaGrange College
Lagrange, Georgia
41
Lawrence U crest
Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin
42
Calvary crest
Calvary University
Kansas City, Missouri
43
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California
44
45
Ouachita Baptist crest
Ouachita Baptist University
Arkadelphia, Arkansas
46
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California
47
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University of the Ozarks
Clarksville, Arkansas
48
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, New York
49
Cornell College crest
Cornell College
Mount Vernon, Iowa
49
Centenary Louisiana crest
Centenary College of Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Shenandoah University Winchester, VA
52 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
53 Hollins University Roanoke, VA
53 Hampshire College Amherst, MA
55 Chapman University Orange, CA
56 Sterling College Sterling, KS
57 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
58 Roosevelt University Chicago, IL
59 Young Harris College Young Harris, GA
60 Brevard College Brevard, NC
61 Southern Virginia University Buena Vista, VA
62 Florida Southern College Lakeland, FL
63 Berea College Berea, KY
64 University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO
65 DeSales University Center Valley, PA
Rank College Location
66 Pace University - New York New York, NY
67 Texas Lutheran University Seguin, TX
68 Elon University Elon, NC
69 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
70 The College of Idaho Caldwell, ID
71 Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA
72 University of New Orleans New Orleans, LA
73 Birmingham Southern College Birmingham, AL
74 Knox College Galesburg, IL
75 The New School New York, NY
76 Southwestern University Georgetown, TX
77 Emory and Henry College Emory, VA
78 Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC
79 Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, OH
80 Nazareth College Rochester, NY
81 Otterbein University Westerville, OH
82 Vanguard University of Southern California Costa Mesa, CA
83 Morehouse College Atlanta, GA
84 Molloy College Rockville Centre, NY
85 Maryville College Maryville, TN
86 Linfield University - McMinnville Campus McMinnville, OR
86 Mars Hill University Mars Hill, NC
88 Rollins College Winter Park, FL
89 Eureka College Eureka, IL
90 Albright College Reading, PA
Rank College Location
91 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
92 Spelman College Atlanta, GA
92 Saint Edward’s University Austin, TX
94 Whittier College Whittier, CA
95 Norfolk State University Norfolk, VA
96 Alabama State University Montgomery, AL
97 Reinhardt University Waleska, GA
98 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN
99 Earlham College Richmond, IN
100 New York University New York, NY
101 Blackburn College Carlinville, IL
101 Lancaster Bible College Lancaster, PA
103 Brenau University Gainesville, GA
103 Oglethorpe University Atlanta, GA
105 Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA
106 Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus Madison, NJ
107 Converse College Spartanburg, SC
108 Drake University Des Moines, IA
109 SUNY New Paltz New Paltz, NY
110 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
111 Loyola University New Orleans New Orleans, LA
112 Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI
113 Wesleyan University Middletown, CT
114 Eastern Connecticut State University Willimantic, CT
115 Clark Atlanta University Atlanta, GA
Rank College Location
115 Luther College Decorah, IA
117 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
118 Heidelberg University Tiffin, OH
119 St Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s City, MD
120 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
121 Washington College Chestertown, MD
122 Ohio Northern University Ada, OH
123 University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras San Juan, PR
124 Westminster College Utah Salt Lake City, UT
125 Barnard College New York, NY
126 Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, MN
127 Salem State University Salem, MA
127 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC
129 Flagler College - St Augustine Saint Augustine, FL

Notes and References

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