by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in New York to determine which ones were the best for acting students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 433 degrees in acting to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
The acting program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Acting rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for acting schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
The acting 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 the Best Acting Schools in New York. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
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.
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the acting degree levels they offer.
It's difficult to beat American Musical and Dramatic Academy if you want to pursue a 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 degree in acting from American Musical and Dramatic Academy
It's hard to beat American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York if you wish to pursue a degree in acting. American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
There were approximately 99 acting students who graduated with this degree at American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in acting from American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York
Purchase College is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in acting. Purchase College is a small public college located in the large suburb of Purchase. This college ranks 53rd out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were approximately 12 acting students who graduated with this degree at Purchase College in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in acting from Purchase College
It is difficult to beat Syracuse University if you want to pursue a degree in acting. Syracuse is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Syracuse. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Syracuse is a great university overall.
There were about 20 acting students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in acting from Syracuse University
Ithaca is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small suburb of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #203 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Ithaca is a great college overall.
There were about 11 acting students who graduated with this degree at Ithaca in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in acting from Ithaca College
MMC is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large city of New York. This college ranks 35th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were roughly 38 acting students who graduated with this degree at MMC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in acting from Marymount Manhattan College
SUNY Fredonia is a small public school located in the distant town of Fredonia. This school ranks 98th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were approximately 5 acting students who graduated with this degree at SUNY Fredonia in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in acting from SUNY Fredonia
Located in the city of New York, Pace University is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 34th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were roughly 48 acting students who graduated with this degree at Pace University in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in acting from Pace University - New York
LIU Post is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Brookville. A Best Colleges rank of #216 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means LIU Post is a great school overall.More information about a degree in acting from LIU Post
New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of New York.
There were about 64 acting students who graduated with this degree at New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in acting from New York Conservatory for Dramatic ArtsExplore all the Best Acting Schools in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 978 | 114 |
| Maryland | 618 | 28 |
| New Jersey | 614 | 3 |
| District of Columbia | 441 | 17 |
Acting is one of 11 different types of Drama & Theater Arts programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Theater Arts | 1,727 |
| Musical Theater | 409 |
| Playwriting & Screenwriting | 185 |
| Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft | 179 |
| Theater Design & Technology | 140 |
| Directing & Theatrical Production | 63 |
| Costume Design | 3 |
| Theatre and Dance | 3 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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