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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts

858 Ranked Colleges
13,117 Degrees Awarded
$21,938 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor's

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Drama & Theater Arts is the 59th most popular major in the country with 17,341 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 858 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in drama and theater arts.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Drama & Theater Arts Schools

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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 Theater Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s”.

1
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 343 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full NYU Drama & Theater Arts Report

2

Out of the 858 schools in the Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, American Musical and Dramatic Academy landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 205 bachelors’s theater degrees 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%. 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.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at American Musical and Dramatic Academy

3
Purchase College crest
Purchase College
Purchase, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purchase College. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s. This small school is located in Purchase, New York, and it awarded 151 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Purchase College

4
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Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 858 schools in the Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia College Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. Columbia is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 148 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Columbia College Chicago

5
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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 Theater Major for a Bachelor’s. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 145 bachelors’s theater degrees 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%.

Full University of Southern California Drama & Theater Arts Report

6

With a ranking of #6, Savannah College of Art and Design did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s list. SCAD is a fairly large school located in Savannah, Georgia that handed out 142 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SCAD Drama & Theater Arts Report

7
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. Texas State University is a large school located in San Marcos, Texas that handed out 139 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Texas State University

8
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Marymount Manhattan College
New York, New York

Marymount Manhattan College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. 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 121 students 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.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Marymount Manhattan College

9
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Emerson College
Boston, Massachusetts

Emerson College ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s list. Emerson College is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 118 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Emerson

10

California State University - Fullerton ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s list. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 110 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Drama & Theater Arts Report

11

University of California - Irvine came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 109 bachelors’s degrees 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 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of California - Irvine

12
Pace University crest
Pace University - New York
New York, New York

Pace University - New York landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Pace University - New York is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 107 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

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 more about Drama & Theater Arts at Pace University - New York

13
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #13. Loyola Marymount University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 100 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 Loyola Marymount Drama & Theater Arts Report

14
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 98 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Northwestern University

15
New York Film Academy crest
New York Film Academy
Burbank, California

New York Film Academy did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. New York Film Academy is located in Burbank, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 97 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at New York Film Academy

16
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

With a ranking of #16, Chapman University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s list. Chapman is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Orange, California. It awarded 88 bachelors’s theater degrees 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 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Chapman

17
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school handed out 86 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Florida State

18

University of Central Florida came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 83 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of Central Florida

19

University of Northern Colorado did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. University of Northern Colorado is a fairly large public school situated in Greeley, Colorado. It awarded 80 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Northern Colorado

20

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 77 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at The University of Texas at Austin

21

California State University - Long Beach ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 76 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Drama & Theater Arts Report

22

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 72 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Drama & Theater Arts Report

23
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Temple University is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Temple

23
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Muhlenberg College
Allentown, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #23, Muhlenberg College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 71 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Muhlenberg College

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s list. UC is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 70 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

25

University of North Texas landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of North Texas is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 70 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UNT

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s

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

27
Ithaca crest
Ithaca College
Ithaca, New York
27
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James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia
29
29
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Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
29
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York
32
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The University of the Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
33
Berklee College of Music crest
Berklee College of Music
Boston, Massachusetts
33
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Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky
33
36
37
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DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois
38
39
39
41
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University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
41
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Point Park University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
41
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Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York
41
45
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Montclair State University
Montclair, New Jersey
45
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University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
47
OCU crest
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
48
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Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois
48
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California
48
48

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Theater Major for a Bachelor’s

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

RankCollegeLocation
52San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
53Elon UniversityElon, NC
53University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
53SUNY FredoniaFredonia, NY
56Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA
56Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN
56Webster UniversitySaint Louis, MO
59Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA
60Roosevelt UniversityChicago, IL
60Kent State University at KentKent, OH
62Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, FL
62Indiana University - BloomingtonBloomington, IN
62Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI
65Cornish College of the ArtsSeattle, WA
65University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
RankCollegeLocation
65Wagner CollegeStaten Island, NY
68SUNY New PaltzNew Paltz, NY
69University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
70The City College of New YorkNew York, NY
70University of New OrleansNew Orleans, LA
70Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, GA
70The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, TX
74Missouri State University - SpringfieldSpringfield, MO
74Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA
76Shenandoah UniversityWinchester, VA
76Western Connecticut State UniversityDanbury, CT
76University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
76University of California - San DiegoLa Jolla, CA
76California Institute of the ArtsValencia, CA
76University of Washington - Seattle CampusSeattle, WA
82Baldwin Wallace UniversityBerea, OH
82LIU PostBrookville, NY
82University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI
82North Central CollegeNaperville, IL
82University of Maryland - College ParkCollege Park, MD
87Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY
87University of California - BerkeleyBerkeley, CA
87University of Puerto Rico - Rio PiedrasSan Juan, PR
90Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI
90Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsville, TX
RankCollegeLocation
90Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL
93George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA
93California State University - Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
93University of Wisconsin - Stevens PointStevens Point, WI
93Florida International UniversityMiami, FL
93Towson UniversityTowson, MD
93Wright State University - Main CampusDayton, OH
99California State Polytechnic University - PomonaPomona, CA
99Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ
101Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
101Winthrop UniversityRock Hill, SC
101University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL
101West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV
105Salem State UniversitySalem, MA
105University of California - Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA
105Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
105Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth, TX
105University of HoustonHouston, TX
105University of California - Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA
105New York City College of TechnologyBrooklyn, NY
112Coastal Carolina UniversityConway, SC
112Fordham UniversityBronx, NY
112Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI
112University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO
112Northwestern State University of LouisianaNatchitoches, LA
RankCollegeLocation
112University of EvansvilleEvansville, IN
112Queens CollegeQueens, NY
112University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
120The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL
120Hunter CollegeNew York, NY
120Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY
123Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
123Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityLincoln, NE
123University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD
123Molloy CollegeRockville Centre, NY
127University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
127Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI
127Drake UniversityDes Moines, IA
127California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
127University of IowaIowa City, IA
127University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR

Notes and References

References

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