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

794 Ranked Colleges
9,342 Degrees Awarded
$30,300 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Theater Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 11,385 people earned their degree in theater arts, making the major the 70th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,342 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major” ranking analyzed 794 colleges that offered a degree in theater arts. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in theater arts.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The theater school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major”.

Top 26 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Theater Arts

1
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Cornish College of the Arts
Seattle, Washington

Out of the 794 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Cornish College of the Arts landed the #1 spot on the list. Cornish College of the Arts is a small school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 35 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

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

2
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Muhlenberg College
Allentown, Pennsylvania

Out of the 794 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Muhlenberg College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 71 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students 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 1.9%, 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.

Read more about Theater Arts at Muhlenberg College

3
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Five Towns College
Dix Hills, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Five Towns College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Dix Hills, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 11 students 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 Theater Arts at Five Towns College

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at University of North Carolina School of the Arts

5
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Bennington College
Bennington, Vermont

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bennington College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Bennington is located in Bennington, Vermont and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Theater Arts at Bennington College

6
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Dean College
Franklin, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #6, Dean College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. This small school is located in Franklin, Massachusetts, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Theater Arts at Dean College

7
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Catawba College
Salisbury, North Carolina

Catawba College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Catawba College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Salisbury, North Carolina. It awarded 20 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Catawba Theater Arts Report

8

University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Located in Chickasha, Oklahoma, this small public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Theater Arts at University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma

9
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Wagner College
Staten Island, New York

Wagner College ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Wagner College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Staten Island, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Full Wagner Theater Arts Report

10
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Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

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.

Read more about Theater Arts at Millikin University

11
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Purchase College
Purchase, New York

Purchase College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. This small school is located in Purchase, New York, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Purchase College

12
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Principia College
Elsah, Illinois

Principia College ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Principia College is located in Elsah, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Full Principia College Theater Arts Report

13

Southern Oregon University ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized school located in Ashland, Oregon that handed out 58 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Southern Oregon University

14
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Dillard University
New Orleans, Louisiana

Dillard University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #14. New Orleans, Louisiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Dillard University

15
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University of Montevallo
Montevallo, Alabama

University of Montevallo landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Montevallo is located in Montevallo, Alabama and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Theater Arts at University of Montevallo

16
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Drew University
Madison, New Jersey

Drew University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Drew is a small school located in Madison, New Jersey that handed out 20 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Theater Arts at Drew University

17
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Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin

Lawrence University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Lawrence U is a small school located in Appleton, Wisconsin that handed out 12 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Lawrence U Theater Arts Report

18
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Calvary University
Kansas City, Missouri

Calvary University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Calvary University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 2 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

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 Calvary University Theater Arts Report

19
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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 #19. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 49 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at Emerson College

20
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #20. Pomona is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Theater Arts at Pomona

21
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University of the Ozarks
Clarksville, Arkansas

University of the Ozarks came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. University of the Ozarks is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Clarksville, Arkansas. It awarded 6 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Ozarks Theater Arts Report

22
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Centenary College of Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana

Centenary College of Louisiana ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. This small school is located in Shreveport, Louisiana, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 more about Theater Arts at Centenary College of Louisiana

22
Cornell College crest
Cornell College
Mount Vernon, Iowa

Cornell College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. This small school is located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Cornell College

24
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Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, New York

Skidmore College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Skidmore College is located in Saratoga Springs, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Skidmore College Theater Arts Report

25
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Hampshire College
Amherst, Massachusetts

Hampshire College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Hampshire

25
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Hollins University
Roanoke, Virginia

Hollins University ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Hollins University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Roanoke, Virginia. It awarded 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

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. 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%.

Full Hollins University Theater Arts Report

Rest of the Best 49 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major

Not only did these schools make the top 49 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

27
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Sterling College
Sterling, Kansas
28
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Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York
29
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Brevard College
Brevard, North Carolina
30
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Berea College
Berea, Kentucky
31
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DeSales University
Center Valley, Pennsylvania
32
33
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Allegheny College
Meadville, Pennsylvania
34
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The College of Idaho
Caldwell, Idaho
35
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Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California
36
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University of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
37
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Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois
38
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Southwestern University
Georgetown, Texas
39
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Winthrop University
Rock Hill, South Carolina
40
41
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SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, New York
42
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Morehouse College
Atlanta, Georgia
43
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Molloy College
Rockville Centre, New York
44
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Maryville College
Maryville, Tennessee
45
46
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Rollins College
Winter Park, Florida
47
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Point Park University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
48
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Eureka College
Eureka, Illinois
49
50
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Albright College
Reading, Pennsylvania

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 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
52 Western Connecticut State University Danbury, CT
53 Spelman College Atlanta, GA
54 North Central College Naperville, IL
55 Whittier College Whittier, CA
56 Norfolk State University Norfolk, VA
57 Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, NE
58 Alabama State University Montgomery, AL
59 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN
60 Earlham College Richmond, IN
61 Oglethorpe University Atlanta, GA
62 Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA
63 Emory and Henry College Emory, VA
64 Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus Madison, NJ
65 Nazareth College Rochester, NY
Rank College Location
66 SUNY New Paltz New Paltz, NY
67 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
68 Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI
69 Wesleyan University Middletown, CT
70 Eastern Connecticut State University Willimantic, CT
71 Luther College Decorah, IA
72 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
73 Heidelberg University Tiffin, OH
74 St Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s City, MD
75 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
76 Washington College Chestertown, MD
77 New York University New York, NY
78 Ohio Northern University Ada, OH
79 University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras San Juan, PR
80 Westminster College Utah Salt Lake City, UT
81 Barnard College New York, NY
82 Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, MN
83 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC
84 Flagler College - St Augustine Saint Augustine, FL
85 The New School New York, NY
86 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
87 Bates College Lewiston, ME
88 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
89 Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA
90 Wesleyan College Macon, GA
Rank College Location
91 Guilford College Greensboro, NC
92 Ripon College Ripon, WI
93 Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI
94 Northwestern State University of Louisiana Natchitoches, LA
95 Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA
96 Central College Pella, IA
96 Bard College at Simon’s Rock Great Barrington, MA
98 University of Wisconsin - Parkside Kenosha, WI
99 Loyola University New Orleans New Orleans, LA
100 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
101 Lincoln College Lincoln, IL
102 Asbury University Wilmore, KY
103 Palm Beach Atlantic University West Palm Beach, FL
104 Drury University Springfield, MO
105 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
106 Gordon College Wenham, MA
107 Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC
108 Ithaca College Ithaca, NY
109 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
110 Converse College Spartanburg, SC
111 Randolph College Lynchburg, VA
112 SUNY Potsdam Potsdam, NY
113 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
114 Castleton University Castleton, VT
115 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN
Rank College Location
116 Rhode Island College Providence, RI
117 Pitzer College Claremont, CA
117 University of Northwestern - St Paul Saint Paul, MN
119 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
119 East Texas Baptist University Marshall, TX

Notes and References

References

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