by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 62 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Acting Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,072 bachelor's degrees in acting to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The acting bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
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.
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 acting students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Acting Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in acting. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It is difficult to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in acting. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from University of Southern California
It's difficult to beat Emerson College if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in acting. Located in the large city of Boston, Emerson is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from Emerson College
Boston University is a wonderful choice for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in acting. Boston U is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from Boston University
American Musical and Dramatic Academy is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in acting. American Musical and Dramatic Academy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from American Musical and Dramatic Academy
Chapman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Orange.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from Chapman University
Located in the large city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from Columbia College Chicago
Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from The University of Texas at Austin
Purchase College is a small public college located in the suburb of Purchase.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from Purchase College
Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Syracuse.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from Syracuse University
Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from DePaul University
Located in the city of Philadelphia, Temple is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from Temple University
Ithaca is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small suburb of Ithaca.More information about a bachelor’s in acting from Ithaca College
Here are some additional great schools for Acting students that almost earned our Best Acting Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | University of Cincinnati - Main Campus | Cincinnati, OH |
| 14 | Marymount Manhattan College | New York, NY |
| 15 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus | Seattle, WA |
| 16 | Elon University | Elon, NC |
| 17 | Belmont University | Nashville, TN |
| 18 | The University of the Arts | Philadelphia, PA |
| 19 | Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA |
| 20 | California Institute of the Arts | Valencia, CA |
View the Best Acting Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
One of 11 majors within the Drama & Theater Arts area of study, Acting has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Theater Arts | 8,624 |
| Musical Theater | 1,150 |
| Theater Design & Technology | 662 |
| Playwriting & Screenwriting | 414 |
| Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft | 235 |
| Directing & Theatrical Production | 131 |
| Theatre and Dance | 109 |
| Comedy Writing and Performance | 44 |
| Theatre Literature, History & Criticism | 19 |
| Costume Design | 8 |
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