by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2024, College Factual analyzed 412 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 13,117 bachelor's degrees in drama & theater arts during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of drama & theater arts for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality theater program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
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.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for drama & theater arts students working on their bachelor's degree.
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 Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools 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.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Northwestern University is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston.
After graduation, theater bachelor's recipients usually make an average of $23,935 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Northwestern University
University of Southern California is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Drama & Theater Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of Southern California receive an earnings boost of about $3,043 above the typical income of drama & theater arts graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Southern California
University of Notre Dame is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the drama & theater arts degree program at University of Notre Dame make $19,944 more than the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Notre Dame
It's hard to beat Carnegie Mellon University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Drama & Theater Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Carnegie Mellon University receive an earnings boost of around $5,056 over the average earnings of drama & theater arts majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Carnegie Mellon University
Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.
Drama & Theater Arts bachelor's degree recipients from New York University earn a boost of approximately $3,308 above the average earnings of drama & theater arts majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from New York University
Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Emory University
Located in the medium-sized city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Yale University
Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Those drama & theater arts students who get their bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin make $2,621 more than the standard theater graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from The University of Texas at Austin
Boston U is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston.
Those drama & theater arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Boston University receive $3,921 more than the typical theater graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Boston University
Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Drama & Theater Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of California - Los Angeles get an earnings boost of around $3,138 above the typical earnings of drama & theater arts graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - Los Angeles
UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley.
Drama & Theater Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley get an earnings boost of around $9,129 above the typical earnings of drama & theater arts graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - Berkeley
Chapman is a large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Orange.
Bachelor's recipients from the drama & theater arts degree program at Chapman University earn $2,818 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Chapman University
UC Irvine is a very large public university located in the city of Irvine.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the theater program report average early career wages of $22,367.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - Irvine
Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the theater program earn around $23,556 in their early career salary.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Loyola Marymount University
U-M is a fairly large public university located in the city of Ann Arbor.
Those drama & theater arts students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor receive $2,167 more than the typical theater graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Located in the large suburb of Storrs, UCONN is a public university with a very large student population.
Drama & Theater Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of Connecticut get an earnings boost of about $9,081 above the average earnings of drama & theater arts graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Connecticut
Located in the city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a very large student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the theater program report average early career earnings of $22,293.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Florida
American Musical and Dramatic Academy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the theater program state that they receive average early career earnings of $19,784.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from American Musical and Dramatic Academy
Dartmouth is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the town of Hanover.More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Dartmouth College
Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Iowa is a very large public university located in the city of Iowa City.
Bachelor's recipients from the drama & theater arts degree program at University of Iowa make $3,985 above the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Iowa
UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the large city of La Jolla.
Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the theater program make about $19,321 in their early career salary.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - San Diego
Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Washington University in St Louis
Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Duke University
Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Columbia University in the City of New York
This section shows the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 412 different United States drama & theater arts schools we analyzed.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | California State University - Fullerton | Fullerton, CA |
| 51 | University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ |
| 52 | Texas State University | San Marcos, TX |
| 53 | Purdue University - Main Campus | West Lafayette, IN |
| 54 | Webster University | Saint Louis, MO |
| 55 | Columbia College Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 56 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, MA |
| 57 | Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, VA |
| 58 | Indiana University - Bloomington | Bloomington, IN |
| 59 | Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA |
| 60 | Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, GA |
| 61 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh, PA |
Here are some additional great schools for Drama & Theater Arts students that almost earned our Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | Purchase College | Purchase, NY |
| 63 | The New School | New York, NY |
| 64 | Muhlenberg College | Allentown, PA |
| 65 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC |
| 66 | Drake University | Des Moines, IA |
| 67 | Baylor University | Waco, TX |
| 68 | Skidmore College | Saratoga Springs, NY |
| 69 | University of Oklahoma Norman Campus | Norman, OK |
| 70 | University of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT |
| 71 | Ohio State University - Main Campus | Columbus, OH |
| 72 | University of Evansville | Evansville, IN |
| 73 | Millikin University | Decatur, IL |
| 74 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA |
| 75 | Brigham Young University - Provo | Provo, UT |
| 76 | Point Park University | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 77 | Lindenwood University | Saint Charles, MO |
| 78 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
| 79 | Arizona State University - Tempe | Tempe, AZ |
| 80 | Kent State University at Kent | Kent, OH |
| 81 | San Jose State University | San Jose, CA |
| 82 | University of Miami | Coral Gables, FL |
| 83 | Tufts University | Medford, MA |
View the Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
Drama & Theater Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Theater Arts | 9,342 |
| Acting | 1,109 |
| 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 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 24,602 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 19,770 |
| Music | 15,362 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 11,759 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 3,794 |
| Arts & Media Management | 3,065 |
| Dance | 2,676 |
| Other Visual Art | 492 |
| Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry | 71 |
| Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art | 9 |
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